


Sworn to Loathe for All Eternity

by tmwillson3



Category: Strange Magic (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Hunters, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Banter, Dorks in Love, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Roland is evil, Secret Organizations, Song Lyrics, Swordplay, Vampire Hunters, Vampire and Hunter AU, forced to work together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-22 02:29:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 45,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17654336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmwillson3/pseuds/tmwillson3
Summary: When Marianne tracks down the slippery Bog to a random bar, she expects it to be a case of identify the rogue vampire and move on. What she gets is the knowledge that the vampire that had tried to kill her previously won't stop his killing spree until she and her sister are dead, starting with her.  That's where the ancient vampire Bog comes in, who has his own vendetta.  Together the two will travel, fight, and work together to bring justice, assuming they can learn to trust the very person they've sworn to not trust and loathe for all eternity.For the Month of Lofe 2019 on Tumblr.





	1. They Meet

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Strange Magic or anything else I reference, which is quite a bit (for songs alone).
> 
> Hello wonderful Strange Magic people! I bet you weren't expecting this, so just in case you were wondering, yes, I'm FINALLY back. I know I have two unfinished AUs for Strange Magic (thanks to everyone who has read and asked, yes it's coming), and I intend to finish them sometime this year. However, in the meantime, I wanted to participate in the Month of Lofe happening on tumblr. So there's this little story. This first week's theme was eros (passionate love) and ludus (playful/uncommitted love). Ideas suggested that I included were trying/failing at flirting, passionate fighting, and the vampire and hunter AU. This AU is the overarching idea I'll use for each week. I hope you enjoy the story!
> 
> Thanks also to overlyinvestedfangirl for beta reading this!

_ Quite some time, I've been sittin' it out. _ __  
_ Didn't take no chances, I was a prisoner of doubt. _ __  
_ I knocked down the wailin' wall, ain't no sin. _ _  
_ __ Got the feel of fortune, deal me in.

__  
_ Comin' straight on for you; you made my mind. _ __  
_ Now I'm stronger; now I'm comin' through _ __  
_ Straight on, straight on for you, _ _  
_ __ Straight on for you! - Heart

****

“Oh, Marianne, if only there was someone out there who you could actually trust,” sneered Roland, pulling the dagger she kept at her side for self-protection out of its sheath.  His other hand shoved at her until her back was on the ground, and that was when Marianne realized that her fiance was not who she thought he was.

****

“I don’t understand.”

****

“Isn’t it obvious?” he monologued, twirling the small blade while staring manically at her.  “I’m going to kill you. I killed your mother before you, and I’ll kill your sister after this.  I’m going to take great pleasure in doing so.”

****

Marianne found it ironic that he was going to kill her with the very weapon he had given to her as his first gift, the purple stone at the center of the hilt why he had gotten it for her.   He started prowling toward her, his golden locks swaying in the invisible breeze as always, when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. “Why do you want to kill us?”

****

Marianne had lost her mother at a very young age; as soon as she died, her father had whisked the family away to live in a forest, living off the land and learning survival skills at a young age.  When Dawn had rebelled and wanted to live in the city, Marianne had followed her at her father’s behest, always carrying a weapon of some sort. Now she was beginning to understand why.

****

“Didn’t you ever wonder why you never saw me in the daylight, or why I was so strong, or why someone as  _ gorgeous  _ as me would confine myself to working at a morgue?” he asked, stopping to pose and play with his hair just as she liked.  “Oh wait, you couldn’t question it. I wouldn’t let you. Enjoy the view while you can, Buttercup. You’re about to join your hunter-scum mother so that the true rulers of the world, the vampires, can reign.  And  now your big brown eyes will be all full of tears from the bitterness of my many lies. ”

****

Marianne’s hands fisted in place, them the only sign that she was not calm.  She had always been calm around Roland because he had wanted her to be like that.  Dawn had had a bad gut reaction to first meeting Roland, just as Marianne had, but she hadn’t trusted her intuition then.  She continued to distrust it even as he had charmed his way in, convincing her that she should be docile when she was normally a very loud, passionate woman.  Now she understood why she had felt that compulsion: he was controlling her, playing with her until he had had enough. She was livid. Roland had had no idea about her life after her mother died, despite him asking many questions because she had been embarrassed by the truth.  Now she was glad. 

****

It wasn’t that her life flashed before her eyes so much as it was this great need to survive in order to kill the guy that had killed her mother and was threatening her sister.  When he leaned in slowly to kill her, ready to savor the moment, she took advantage of his cockiness and kicked him in the groin. In the next instant, he was reeling back, and she was reaching for the first object she could, in this instance a lamp.  She threw it at him, followed closely by a vase, but he easily sidestepped them both. Then, he was rushing at her, pointy teeth glinting dangerously indicating there would be no mercy now.

****

She grabbed a metal fire-poker and stabbed him in the chest, making him drop her dagger.  She pushed it further into his chest before swiping up the dagger and running in search of her sister.  Thankfully, Dawn was still at home, and she believed her sister. Within two hours, the sisters were packed and leaving town, but not before Roland tried to pay them one last visit.  That time, however, both sisters were ready with wooden chair legs that were carved into stakes. He was left injured once more as they escaped. 

****

From that moment on, the girls had a new job in life: kill every vampire they crossed.  They had no idea how to find them, but then again, fate was good at finding them now that they were on social media.  They had barely gotten off the bus in the bustling city of Plumville at noon when an old lady fell on the sidewalk. Dawn went to help the purple-haired lady at once, and when she invited the girls in for a cup of tea after hearing of them being new, the sisters accepted.  From then on, life came fast: the old lady was actually Plum Fairy, a rich investor in the city since her family had founded it, but she was also the leader of the Dark Forest Syndicate, an underground group that controlled all paranormal activity in the world. Plum was actually part-fairy, and vampires had been wreaking havoc on the world since almost all of the hunters had been killed.  Within six months, the girls were trained in how to locate and kill vampires, using the ancient magic within each hunter to discern magical creatures from normal people, as well as how to distinguish vampires. It required an implicit trust of intuition that Marianne found hard at first, but she forced herself, never wanting to be tricked again by a vampire. When they were ready, the sisters were loosed upon the world, looking for all rogue vampires.  Marianne always wore her signature purple in honor of her mother, and Dawn wore blue. They quickly became a well-known team because of their shared bond.

****

The first rogue they were assigned was an easy one, Sunny Elfton.  When he was cornered in a dark alley one night, he went quietly with the girls, quickly developing a bond with Dawn over a mutual love of musicals and singing.  A year after that, Dawn and Sunny still talked regularly, and the girls quickly discovered that he knew many vampires since he was easily persuaded by greater vampires to do things for them since his elf magic made him smaller and harder to discern normally.  With Dawn’s help, he stayed easily findable and away from the more dangerous vampires, and in return, he helped them out when they needed to find other rogues. 

****

If the two made goo-goo eyes at each other more than was professionally allowed, Marianne ignored it out of love for her sister and because of how much she liked Sunny.  While he was gullible to a fault, he was also very loyal and grateful. 

****

Within two years, many of the rogue vampires had been found and dealt with.  Roland was one notable exception, but he was always showing up, now hell-bent on killing both Fairfield ladies as soon as he could.  Luckily for the girls, they were fast, and Roland liked talking too much. 

****

The only other vampire who always slipped through their fingers was Bog King, the oldest vampire in existence.  Sunny had only met him once, and he found the crusty, grumpy old fart to be the scariest being in existence.

****

“Foul-tempered and hideous don’t begin to describe him when he turns! His eyes… they pierce into your soul, and you’re forced to do whatever he asks of you,” described Sunny on one occasion.  

****

Marianne just wanted to  _ see  _ him for once.  He was good at disappearing right when the ladies arrived, swirling his black cloak around him before he turned into a bat and swept into the night sky.  He didn’t like talking to anyone, and he  _ hated  _ following anyone’s rules but his own.  He just wanted to live in peace. 

****

Nonetheless, Marianne was persistent.  She tried seven different times to corner him with Dawn, and she never succeeded.  Dawn was growing weary of dealing with Bog, and she wanted to deal with other rogues.  

****

“As long as Roland is out there, we can’t split up.”

****

“But Marianne, I’ve grown far less trusting of others, and I’m way stronger.  Also, Sunny has agreed to come with me for protection. I’ve been helping him get better at resisting mind abilities, so he’s all set.  I know you want to go find that Boggy guy, but there are still others to find. Please can we split up? Just for a month.”

****

After much convincing from Plum, Sunny, and Dawn, Marianne agreed.  Bog had gone too long without checking in, and she wanted to be the one to bring him in.  It would make a statement, that she was serious about her work, and prove to herself that she was good at what she did.  She still had trouble trusting herself and her intuition, and this seemed like the perfect way to solidify it. She also wanted more information on how to kill Roland; she secretly hoped that Bog might have some idea since he was so old.

****

Right before Sunny and Dawn headed abroad, Sunny told Marianne, “I know someone in Canada who just saw Bog.  Apparently, he likes to spend winter there. If you can play nice with the locals, they might lead you to him.”

****

Marianne grinned. “Thanks, Sunny! I’ll try that. Safe travels in Europe.”

****

“I can’t wait to pretend I’m holding up the Eiffel Tower!” squealed Dawn, jumping up and down excitedly.  

****

Sunny gazed fondly at Dawn until Marianne laid a heavy hand on his arm.  “If you do  _ anything  _ to my sister, especially turn her, or even let her out of your sight, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.  Got it?”

****

“Yes, ma’am!” cried Sunny, saluting her out of habit from his army days.  “You have a very particular set of skills; I know and have a healthy awareness of them.  You can count on me; I’ll never let anything happen to her,” he replied, his eyes jutting over to Dawn with a solemness he rarely had.

****

It put Marianne at ease.  “Good. See you in a month. As for you, Boggy,” she added in an undertone, looking north, “There’s no way I’m going to sit this one out.  I’m going to take a chance now, not be a prisoner of doubt. I’m coming straight on for you. I’ve made up my mind. Now I'm stronger; now I'm comin' through, straight on for you.”

****

From there, Marianne traveled to Quebec, where Bog was enjoying the long, dark days and anonymity there.  She was barely out of the airport before she saw two figures go scrambling across the street, trying to hide from something.  Based on their pale appearance and magical signature, she was betting that they were either vampires or willing victims who agreed to let vampires feed on them so they could stay immortal.  She pretended to ignore them in her disguise, and sure enough, they went in another direction without looking back. Marianne followed them surreptitiously all the way to Old Quebec, hiding her red wig as much as possible as she dashed past the old, fortified wall and down the cobbled streets. When they entered one of the many stone inns, she went to the wooden doorway and snuck a peek in the nearby window, where the two were squabbling, first about an elf that hadn’t shown up, and then about someone else.

****

“I tell you, it’s her, the famed hunter!” said the short, skinny guy.

****

“No way.  She had brown hair, and she  _ always  _ travels with her sister in purple.  It’s not her.”

****

Marianne realized that they were indeed talking about her.  She was relieved when the taller, fatter woman added, “BK didn’t tell anyone that he was coming here.  It’s not her. We’re not telling anyone. We’ll just look for brown or red hair, and if we see her more, then we’ll do something. Got it?”

****

“Alright.”

****

Marianne fist-pumped the sky and tried to listen more, but they went upstairs.  She made quick work of finding someplace to live close by. Based on her research, he had expensive taste in food, so she decided to take a job delivering food so she could wander throughout town without drawing suspicion.  For a week, she walked around with black hair until she spotted the two once more, and then she followed them. They entered a tiny, secluded bar off the beaten track, so she waited an hour before going in. She dressed a little nicer and then entered the bar for dinner.  

****

She wasn’t prepared to see the largest group of paranormal creatures outside Plumville.  All were just eating quietly, but she couldn’t spot the pair or a vampire, so she settled for taking note of all present.  She chatted amicably in French with several fairies after they realized that she had some trace of magic in her, especially when she mentioned that she had met Plum.  Every fairy loved Plum for some reason. 

****

Sometime into the conversation, she discovered that the vampire who owned the place put on regular speakers to talk about what was seen in the normal world.  Tonight, however, there was a big meeting that had everyone present. She stayed in the far corner with the fairies the whole night until they seemed to encourage her to leave.

****

“Why?”

****

“Because you’ve got old blood and magic in you.  There’s one coming in here who doesn’t like your kind.”

****

“Do you know what I am?” she asked curiously, looking between them.  

****

“Sure, you’re part werewolf.  It’s the only ancient magic left out there besides us and those vampires.”

****

Marianne wanted to laugh, but it only reinforced the idea that few actually knew that hunters existed anymore.  She thanked them for the caution but insisted on staying, stating a curiosity to see a vampire just once as her reason to stay.  She wasn’t disappointed.

****

Finally, the two from earlier entered, and she found out that they were named Stuff and Thang.  Both announced the arrival of the main guest of the evening, the one and only Bog King.

****

Marianne had expected many things of Bog King, but what she actually saw was something completely different.  How was the man hideous when he was tall, dark, and brooding in the best of ways? Sure, he wore all black, but it only highlighted the blueness of his eyes, so clear and bright in his pale face.  His dark brown hair was shaggy and long, just barely covering his ears and neck, and he walked with the grace of kings, a metal cane with an amber jewel at his side. Perhaps he had been a king long ago.  

****

Perhaps the only thing truly frightening about him was his face.  His mouth was set in a scowl, and his eyes were narrowed suspiciously as he walked in, as though he sensed that something was off.  His eyes swept through the crowd until he found her. Their eyes met, each sizing the other up until Bog had seen his fill. He swirled his cape around him as he walked to the microphone and tested it.

****

Thus satisfied, he began speaking, the silence in the room was deafening from the moment he appeared.  All were afraid of him, except for Marianne. She felt only a sense of giddy excitement, her blood now fire as adrenaline kicked in.  She was  _ so close. _

****

“Thank you for coming here tonight.  I apologize for the lateness in receiving the summons, but circumstances force me to hold another meeting.  As some of you are aware, Roland Knight has begun another killing spree. The Syndicate is doing all it can; however, since it has been ineffective so far and has  _ wasted  _ its time chasing after others, it’s time to do something about it.”

****

“Why is he suddenly killing again? I thought he stopped after the last of the hunters were murdered,” called out a goblin.

****

“We thought all the hunters were gone; however, based on the numerous attempts I’ve seen from the Syndicate, I have reason to believe that two sisters survived.  They now follow in the long line of female hunters from that family. If you see them, don’t trust them or tell them anything. They’re dangerous.”

****

Marianne bristled at his accusations and wanted to punch Bog badly.  She resisted, however, determined to wait until after the meeting to gather more information. As it turned out, Bog was on the same side as her, even if he didn’t trust her.  Not surprising, given their opposing natures, but still, he ought to realize that she and Dawn were the surest way to bring Roland out of hiding. She hadn’t realized Roland was so infamous, but it didn’t surprise her in the least.  At the end of the meeting, the fairies insisted on introducing her to Bog, and she eagerly approached him.

****

“Welcome,” said Bog, glancing at Marianne appreciatively, heat in his eyes as he took in the scent of her blood.  It was rare that beautiful women paid such close attention to what he had to say or smelled that good. She was positively intoxicating.   

****

At that moment, Thang came scrambling toward Bog with a glass of wine.  At the last second, he tripped, and Marianne was just fast enough to grab a tablecloth and use it as a shield for Bog.

****

“Impressive…. for a fairy.  Thank you. Brown’s a good color for you, just like the soil.  Are you a new fairy in training for these meetings?” asked Bog, taking her hand.  

****

She did  _ not  _ want a vampire who insulted her and her organization kissing her hand, however nice his eyes might be. Thankfully, he was stopped by the fairies.

****

“Excuse me, Sir? She’s not a fairy; she’s a werewolf! I’m surprised you got one to attend.”

****

“What?” asked Bog dumbly, looking between the fairies and Marianne, who smiled smugly.  “She’s not a werewolf; they’re not welcome in here. There are wards in place.”

****

“Well, she’s got ancient blood in her-”

****

“I can sense that, you idiots.  I just don’t understand what else unless-”

****

Slam! Marianne’s fist pummeled into Bog’s face before grabbing one of her stamps to track rogue vampires.  He was just starting to recover from the sudden blow when she stamped his hand triumphantly. Thus satisfied, she put away her stamp and smiled sweetly at the audience.

****

“Yes, I’m one of the hunters that he was just warning you about.  If he had just let me stamp him like everyone else, I would’ve had no need to come and disturb your meeting or even find out you exist.  However, he’s old and stubborn. I’m Marianne Fairfield.”

****

The fairies’ shocked face made her feel very proud of herself.  Bog’s face was positively livid.

****

“That was all you wanted? You’ve chased me to seven different countries-”

****

“Eight now,” she corrected before he growled.

****

“Whatever.  All you wanted was to stamp me?”

****

“The ink will last ten years; we can track you for that time.  Then, you’ll never have to see my smiling face again until the ink starts to wear.  See what happens when you actually talk to people instead of running away like a scared puppy?”

****

Bog’s eyes narrowed, and she finally understood why Sunny was so afraid of him.  He was at least a head taller than her, and he loomed over her now, all menace. His eyes met hers, and Marianne was conscious of him trying to control her mind.  She stared straight ahead, eyes unblinking, letting him underestimate her just as everyone else did.

****

“I will have you - go upstairs,” he commanded in a low voice, leaning in until his skinny nose almost touched hers.  

****

“Make me,” she taunted, shoving him backwards as he blinked in surprise.

****

When he regained control of his senses, his growl of attack reverberated through the whole building.  He launched himself at her, the cane he had been holding lengthening to become a staff with a sharp, metal end after he pressed a button.  Marianne drew out her blade and met him in the middle. 

****

The metallic ping and screech of weapons clashing filled the air.  Everyone around them moved to the edge of the room in rapt awe. It wasn’t often the old vampire was given a run for his money, especially from someone much smaller and younger.  However, what she lacked in size and strength she made up in speed and agility, easily able to out-maneuver his blows. 

****

“Don’t mess around with me, hunter,” he called, trying to warn her against her impending doom. 

****

“How dare you,” she replied, taking the defensive.  She swirled about to neatly avoid his hit, and then her blade cut in from below.  He barely had time to recover and block her attack, their weapons clashing once more.

****

“You’re the one who came here looking for trouble; you came to the right place as I intend to give it to you, hunter,” he replied, stepping back before slashing at her shoulder. “I’m evil; my middle name is misery - at least for you.  Just look right in my face.”

****

Her arm came up as a shield as her blade slid down, holding him back. 

****

He took two hesitant steps back out of shock, only to have her follow and hold him before Thang asked, “Need any help, Sire?”

****

“No, not from you incompetent idiots.  You should’ve been looking for her.”

****

“I  _ told  _  you that it was her,” remarked Thang, looking pleased.

****

“Shut up,” said Stuff.

****

“A jot of good it did me,” muttered Bog before focusing on Marianne once more.  “You’re surprisingly strong in holding and repelling me.”

****

“I grew up in the wild, away from everyone because my father knew what we were.  I’m tough because I have to be,” she grunted before pooling all her strength and jumping, knocking him off-balance.  

****

He snapped back to attention quickly, and then his staff became a swirling, shiny blur as he rushed at her.  She was fast to grab a chair and jump from it, her feet going for his chest. He paused his swirling in order to stop her, but she still hit him momentarily before she tucked herself in and rolled to the other side of the room.  He followed, roaring his battle cry, and Marianne did likewise, screaming as they went in for another round of exchanging blows. For the next few minutes, it was hard to tell who was winning or even who was who since both were in dark clothes.  There were only dark blurs moving away then toward one another in a circle - like an ancient mating ritual or dance, but with significantly more grunting. It wasn’t until one almost hit the other that the circle was broken at last. 

****

“Is that all you got?” she asked as they both caught their breath momentarily, some distance between them.

****

“Need any help, Sire?”

****

“No!” he yelled before turning to her, a smug grin curling his lips.  “I could do this all day. Why?”   
  


She got a running start and charged at him with all she had.  He blocked and kept her at bay before she commented, “I don’t know.  I guess I was expecting… more?”

****

She ducked and threw out a leg, tripping him in the process.  As he attempted to catch himself, her blade finally cut skin on him, making them both fall back.  She caught her breath, high on her victory of getting him first, and he looked at her with awe, as though seeing her for the first time.  

****

When he snapped out of it, he yelled, “Best out of three!”

****

Marianne had preternatural speed from the magic she possessed, but it didn’t help at all when she was unprepared and not expecting him to go on.  As a result, he pushed and chased her backward until her back was pressed against the opposite wall, her blade barely holding him back. The scent of her overwhelmed him in such close quarters, and he had to fight his urge to feed and more, besides the desire to overwhelm her and win.  Killing her was no longer an option.

****

“Yield,” he growled, bringing his staff down more, showing her he was ready to do it.  He stepped between her wide legs, pressing closer to her as both breathed tensely, eyes fixed on each other.

****

“Never,” she replied, kicking him so that she could duck under and escape. 

****

He saw her move and was unable to stop it, but he did manage to nick her as she slipped away.  She gave him her fiercest glare, and he was pleased that he hadn’t totally lost his chops and menace when fighting.  He was glad, as he was beginning to lose steam; thankfully, Marianne seemed a little more weary as well.

****

“Is that all you got?” she called, spurring him to come toward her once more.

****

As both went toward one another, they used their remaining energy to hurl themselves at one another, slashing and blocking until both were panting.  

****

“Need any help, Sire?” 

****

“No!” both said in unison, not even acknowledging the two closest to the fight.  Everyone else was huddled in a corner, scurrying away whenever they got close. The crowd was starting to spread apart as they noticed how tired both looked.

****

As a last ditch effort, Bog made eye contact with Marianne, concentrating as much as he could to force her to stop moving and give up.  Now that he had seen her fight, he had more reasons to not kill her, only wanting to stop the ridiculous nonsense. The problem was that she was  _ way  _ too stubborn to do that; her eyes narrowed as she recognized what he did.  

****

With strength from long-buried anger from missing her mother and being betrayed by Roland, Marianne swooped in once more, determined to put Bog in his place.  The problem was that blind anger made her reckless, allowing Bog to knock her weapon up and out of her hands when she got close. That didn’t stop her, though.  She kicked and rolled out of the way of his thrusts, holding on to the edge of the staff as he approached once more. Finally, she was able to use his upward efforts to shake her to propel her toward her weapon, catching it in the air.  

****

“One thing you’ll learn about me is that trying to control me will only anger me more,” she panted, moving back as he did the same.  Placing her left hand on her knee, she breathed in heavily, trying to gain more strength to fight. However, her body was worn out, just as Bog’s was.  Both glared at one another, neither wanting to concede or be the first to ask for a draw. They took small steps toward one another, their weapons tilted down out of exhaustion.

****

“Need any help?”

****

“No.  They need to stop,” called out Brutus, the owner of the bar.  “They’ve already damaged half of my main room, and there’s no clear winner.  Much as I hate to say it about a hunter, I’m calling this a draw.” 

****

Both Bog and Marianne sighed in relief as water and blood were brought forward to help replenish their strength.  They stayed close to one another despite the end of the fight, both eyeing and waiting for one of them to do something.  Bog drank his blood greedily, and he was surprised to see Marianne not flinch once as she watched. Instead, she sheathed her sword and approached him as she munched on some bread.  He finished up his feeding before reducing the staff to a cane and looked at her expectantly.

****

“You’re an excellent fighter; I haven’t enjoyed myself or had that good of a fight in a long time,” remarked Bog, holding out a hand as a sign of peace.

****

“Thank you.  You’re not bad yourself for being so old,” she replied, taking his hand.

****

“It’s your mind that most intrigues me, though,” he said, tilting his head to see if there was anything about the shape of her head that made her different.  He was disappointed to find nothing. “Despite being worn out, you still resisted me completely, even when all I wanted you to do was call a draw.”

****

She opened her mouth in an “o” shape before shutting it.   Finally, she got out, “Thank you.” 

****

He nodded, hopeful that they had come to some understanding.  Then she opened her mouth once more, ever belligerent.

****

“When you’ve been tricked into getting engaged to a vampire right before he tries to kill you, it’ll make you more willing to do anything to strengthen your mind against all future attacks, however good-intentioned,” she returned, hands on her hips.  “I’d rather you just ask. I don’t want to have  _ your  _ kind ever controlling me-”

****

“My kind! We’re decent! You’re the ones who go killing us,” argued Bog, his right hand going for the cane he walked with.

****

“Only because you kill and suck the blood of everyone else!” cried Marianne defensively, going for her blade.

****

The two might have sparred verbally and physically some more were it not for the piercing scream of someone yelling, “Fire!”

****

The two lost interest in one another at once.  Bog located the source of the fire while Marianne determined how many beings were still inside.  Once she sensed that all were in the main room with her, she began herding everyone toward Bog, who had broken the large window in the kitchen, as well as kicked down the back door. Everyone was barely out when Marianne rushed over to Bog.

****

“Thank you for making that exit route.  Whoever set that fire wanted to trap us in with fires at all the front windows and the door.”

****

“You’re surprisingly useful for a member of the Syndicate,” he said, complimenting her.  “I’ll ask to see who-”

****

“Marianne, of course you escaped.  My, my, my, who do we have here with you?” asked Roland, strolling forward with his three vampire cronies.

****

“Roland,” grumbled Marianne, her hand going to the her stake.  “I should have known.”

****

“C’mon, Marianne, s ay you understand.  I know you can;  I’m hurt you didn’t think it was me right away.  I’ll make sure to try harder next time,” he replied, right before Bog charged at him with a haunting growl that Marianne was sure would give her nightmares for years to come.  

****

In that moment, Marianne was grateful that she hadn’t pissed off Bog that much.  He was fast and efficient, no words needed to attack. The two tussled on the ground for several minutes before Roland took a cheap shot at Bog and escaped.  

****

“I’ll kill you yet, Marianne! You’re first!” he threatened before flying off into the night.

****

“Wow, he really hates you,” commented Thang, making Marianne chuckle.

****

“Yes, he hates my guts, almost as much as I hate him.  I don’t really want to kill anyone except him. I’ll take great pleasure in doing so; I’ve trained a lot in the past years for the moment when I could kill him.  What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and I’ve survived a lot of instances from him so far. I’m going to destroy him.”

****

“Get in line, hunter-scum,” replied Bog, storming away. “I called first dibs long before you were ever born.”

****

“What’s his story?” asked Marianne, looking to Stuff and Thang.  

****

Thang was about to tell her when Bog warned, “Not. A. Word.”

****

Bog walked away, and Marianne followed, running to keep up.  “Wait! We’re not done yet.”

****

“You got your stamp.  Get out of here,” he called, not looking at her. “Don’t you need to be useful and actually capture someone dangerous?”

****

“Maybe we’d be more effective if we didn’t repeat work and actually, I don’t know, worked together?” shouted Marianne, making him stop at last.  

****

He turned around and sent her another withering glare, but she only stubbornly approached him since he had stopped moving.  He was surprised when she came up to him and poked his chest.

****

“Why are you so afraid of working with the Syndicate?” she asked, before adding, “And why do you hate Roland so much?”

****

“Pick one,” he insisted, pulling out of reach of her, “and make it quick.”

****

“Why? Got some pressing engagement you need to fly off to since you’re scared of me-”

****

“I am  _ not  _ afraid of you!” he roared, storming away to let off steam.  “You’re simply an engaging, stubborn, infuriating woman who won’t leave well enough alone!”

****

“I’m trying to do the right thing,” she said, following behind him, seeing that he was near the end of his patience.  “I assumed wrongly that Roland was always like this. I was wrong. If he is that big of a threat, then we should focus our efforts on him-”

****

“We? There’s no we,” interrupted Bog, going to her.  “There never will be a we, Tough Girl. I work alone.”

****

“Not on this case,” she replied, making him laugh.

****

“Give me one good reason why I should work with you,” he said, laughing.  “Anything.” 

****

“You have no idea where Roland is; however, if he’s trying to kill me, then you know exactly where he’s going to strike next, pure and simple,” she reasoned, making him stare at her.  “What? It’s the truth. If you want to trap him, I’m the best bait,” she said, shrugging. 

****

“And you’re not afraid of this at all?” he asked, giving her a hard look.

****

“I’ll always be a little afraid, but mostly, I just want to kill him.  Will you help me, or not?” she asked, sticking out a hand.

****

He glared at her hand like it was going to stake him.  However, reason and common sense won over right before he found her earnest, brown eyes.  She seemed so fresh and eager, even if she was way too stubborn. He found himself wanting very much to go along with those eyes, even with other plans in his head.  He took the offered hand. “I can’t believe I’m actually going to work with a Syndicate member and a hunter. Vampires everywhere will be rolling in their ashes.”

****

“Why are all vampires so melodramatic?” she asked, unprepared for the zing that arced through her skin and filled her with warmth as she shook hands with him. She pulled away from him as fast as she could to prevent him from seeing her blush. 

****

“We are  _ not  _ melodramatic,” sniffed Bog, even as Stuff and Thang pointed at him and nodded, making Marianne cough to hide a laugh.

****

“Sure, Bog.  Alright, let’s go to Plumville-”

****

“What? No way I’m stepping foot in that forsaken place.  It’s crawling with Syndicate members,” argued Bog, stopping and refusing to move.

****

“Exactly  _ why  _ we should go there; if we want to ensure that  _ someone  _ kills him, then we have to be near more people able to kill him,” she insisted, hands on her hips.  “Now let’s go.”

****

“You’re way too good for the Syndicate,” mumbled Bog as he gave in, seeing her logic.  “I never thought a hunter could be so smart.”

****

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me; maybe you should get to know me before you assume-”

****

“As soon as Roland is killed, you’re  _ never  _ going to see me again,” said Bog, dark promise in his eyes as he took hold of her wrist.  “I don’t like anyone, especially hunters. I don’t need to know what you’re like to know that you’re all exactly the same.”

****

“I’m going to prove you wrong,” she said, not backing down. “Now let’s go.”

****

If Bog was unhappy in preparing to leave his favorite haunt, he was downright irritating and irascible when they arrived in Plumville.  Plum welcome them with open arms, and discussions about how to subdue Roland began in earnest the same day they arrived, as Bog wanted to be gone as soon as possible.  Dawn and Sunny were called from their trip, and Bog became even more irritable when he met Dawn.

****

To Sunny, he grunted, “I suppose I have you to thank for the tip so Tough Girl could find me.”

****

“She’s not that bad, honestly,” replied Sunny, shrugging and trying not to appear scared.  He failed miserably, so Bog let him go. He quickly understood why Sunny had turned snitch when he saw how Sunny stared at Dawn.  The man was positively smitten.

****

“So you’re Boggy! It’s great to meet you! I’m Dawn.  I can’t wait to work with you,” she chirped before going in for a hug.

****

“No. Hugging,” growled Bog as he backed away from the too bubbly woman.  “And it’s Bog, not Boggy. I’m here to do one job, and then I’m going. We’re not friends, nor will we ever be.”

****

Dawn gave him the biggest, saddest, puppy-dog eyes she could, and Bog couldn’t fathom how this woman was a fierce hunter that had managed to track down numerous vampires.  All the same, he felt his resolve slip the longer he looked into Dawn's eyes. She seemed so genuine, even if he didn't - or rather couldn't - believe she'd want to get to know him or spend time with him. The way  she made him question himself made him wonder if she was actually part siren, able to draw all vampires to their doom. He was inclined to believe it, if only because Marianne's eyes held their own strange magic over him.

****

When it finally came time to set the trap, Marianne announced she was back in Plumville with her sister, and Roland came soon after, the thought of killing both sisters at once appetizing.  Marianne and Dawn were sitting on a park bench, minding their own business, while Sunny, Bog, and other Syndicate members were circled around them. Roland was almost in position when one member, Pare,  jumped the gun, revealing his position and tipping Roland off. Soon, his three cronies were coming after Pare, and others had to step in. In all that commotion, Roland only had a moment to speak to the sisters.

****

“You win this time, but I’ll be back, and with greater numbers.  You  _ will _ die at my hands.”

****

Marianne tried to stake him in the meantime, but all she hit was air.  Bog and Sunny appeared soon after. Sunny hurried to Dawn, hugging her close at her brush with death, and they were utterly ignored by Bog and Marianne.  

****

Bog had only known Marianne about two weeks at that point, but he had known her long enough to know she was a stubborn, foolhardy woman who didn’t care about her safety enough.  She was also brilliant, an excellent fighter, and the only person he knew that was capable of getting under his skin in under a minute. He had developed a grudging respect for her as she ran meetings with the Syndicate with an iron first appropriate of a queen, and she held his trust by not once mentioning to anyone that he had his own group of people he called on in times of trouble. She was good about keeping Plum away from him when he made it clear he didn’t want to see her, and she had the most beautiful brown eyes he had ever beheld, making her the most confusing woman of his acquaintance. 

****

“Marianne! You didn’t stick to your own plan!” screamed Bog, rushing to her side.  

****

“I couldn’t! Somebody had screwed up-”

****

“It was one of  _ your  _ Syndicate people,” returned Bog hotly.  “Why didn’t you escape with Dawn when you had the chance?”

****

“Because my instincts said to stay,” persisted Marianne, unashamed of her decision.

****

“Confound it all, Tough Girl.  You could’ve been killed by him, or did you forget that?” growled Bog, getting in her face.  “No one was close enough, and we were all distracted. You only had a dagger and a stake on you.”

****

“One stake is all it takes,” she reminded him.  “I did try-”

****

“And failed.  He’s counting on you to be overconfident.  Don’t be! He’s a lot smarter than you think.  He’s survived this long.”

****

“Fine.  I’ll be more careful,” she agreed, making him a little smug.  “But I still maintain that I needed to stay there. He managed to say something before he left.”

****

“What’s that?” he asked, a pit of worry appearing in his stomach. 

****

“He told me he’d be back with a larger group.  He’s going to be recruiting more-”

****

“Of course he is!” yelled Bog with frustration.  “You just upped the stakes-”

****

“Heh, we did have two stakes,” commented Marianne, trying to lighten the situation.

****

“Now is  _ not _ the time for poor attempts at making jokes,”  breathed Bog, running a nervous hand through his hair.  “The moment you tried to bring more in was the moment he decided that he had to match it.  I knew I should’ve gone off on my own-”

****

“Then why didn’t you say something before now?” screeched Marianne, now getting in his face. “I’m reasonable; I would’ve listened! It could’ve just been the two of us-”

****

“You don’t get it,” argued Bog, hands waving about him.  “The moment it is more than just you is the moment he increases his army.  Period.”

****

“But why didn’t you say something, seriously?” she asked, a hand shaking his shoulder.

****

Bog went silent for a moment, and Marianne couldn’t fathom why.  Had she known that Bog had quickly developed a weakness for her eyes combined with logical arguments, she might have used that to her advantage more often.  As it was, he was scrambling to come up with a good excuse so he didn’t have to admit that out loud. 

****

When he finally had a good excuse, he peeled her fingers off of him slowly, neither one taking their eyes off of one another.  “I’m waiting,” she said, her voice lower and huskier than she had intended because his eyes were dark, drawing her in. If she didn’t know better, she might think he was trying to manipulate her.  

****

“Because I was willing to take a chance on your idea working quickly,” he said, making her pause.  “Fat lot it did.”

****

“We can make a better plan and train them better-”

****

“We’ll do no such thing,” insisted Bog, his angular chin jutting down as he took hold of her chin.  “We tried your way, and now we try mine. We’ll keep switching until he’s caught. It’ll throw him off.”

****

Not having any good reason to object, she nodded reluctantly.  “What did you have in mind?”

****

She was ready for him to tell her that he was leaving, determined to lurk in the shadows.  She was therefore surprised when he said, “Seeing as he’s going to have more coming with him and you like to take risks, I’m going to have to stick around, however much I don’t want to.  But there are conditions.”

****

Secretly, he liked the idea of spending more time with Marianne, and he would’ve been interested to know that Marianne felt similarly about him. As it was, he had business elsewhere, and he was sure that she had more vampires to track.  

****

“What are they?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.  “I’m… pretty amenable.”

****

He snorted before holding up fingers.  “Until the next time that Roland attacks you, it’s you and me only.  No Dawn, Sunny, or other Syndicate people. Got it?”

****

She nodded.

****

“Next, I have personal matters to attend to.  You’ll accompany me on them - staying out of the way - first, and then we can go track down however many more vampires you want as a normal part of your job.  Finally-”

****

He cracked his knuckles and looked away nervously, unsure how she would react to the last condition.  It was more for her safety anyway; it’d give him peace of mind to have her close to him whenever he was awake.

****

“Yes?” she prompted, eyes curious.

****

“Oh good, you agreed without needing to know all the details,” he said, taking her hand and shaking it, relieved at finding a way to not say it until later.

****

“Wait.  What was the last one?” she asked, yanking his hand and body down and not letting go.

****

Seeing her determination, he said quickly, “We share a room wherever we go.”

****

“What?!”

****

“It’s for your protection, Marianne.  I’m not losing you, too,” he replied, looking away.  “Please don’t fight this.”

****

She had never seen Bog look so vulnerable and afraid; her heart went out to him at once.  “Alright, but you  _ have  _ to explain why later.”

****

“Deal.”


	2. They Bond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to meet Griselda and spend some quality time in Paris as a newlywed couple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I don't own Strange Magic, or anything else I reference. This week's Month of Lofe prompts were family love and self-love/acceptance. Another idea to include was Griselda finding Bog. I tried to weave in all those elements. I hope you enjoy the fluff!
> 
> Also, with regard to vampire lore, I tried to stick with the traditional ideas as much as possible, but I've made up a couple things as needed for the story. Just so you know. Onwards with the story!

_ Now I know I got to play my hand. _

_ What the winner don't know, a gambler understands. _

_ My heart keeps playin' it through, with you my friend; _

_ I'll take my chances on you, again and again, again. _

 

_ Comin' straight on for you; you made my mind. _

_ Now I'm stronger; now I'm comin' through _

_ Straight on, straight on for you, _

_ Straight on for you. - Heart _

  
  


“Why does Bog hate our group so much, Plum?” asked Marianne before she headed away with Bog.

 

“That’s….a complicated question involving a messy history that he’s better off explaining to you.  It doesn’t reflect well on anyone,” replied Plum, patting Marianne’s arm. “That fateful day changed many lives.  If you’d like, I could try to explain it in a riddle.”

 

“No thanks.  I hate riddles,” said Marianne, turning away as Plum grinned about her words. “I’ll just ask him while we’re traveling to wherever he needs to go,” decided the vampire hunter before grabbing a few more weapons from Plum’s large stash of weapons that she kept on hand.  “I’ll see you after the next attack.”

 

“Don’t be afraid to use that duster!” cried Plum as Marianne moved to pass by a tiny, pink vial with a duster sticking out of it.  “It’s easy to pocket, and it creates a great distraction if you need to get out of an awful fix with vampires.”

 

“Well, it can’t hurt.  Are you sure it doesn’t come in any other color besides neon pink, though?” asked Marianne, making the ancient woman nearby laugh.

 

“No.  It's harmful against vampires if they inhale it; now it also looks fabulous. Have fun with Bog.  If anyone can make him trust us again, it’ll be you and your sister. It’s a shame he wants it to be only you two, but it could be romantic at least,” she said, grinning suggestively at woman in her traditional dark purple shirt and long jacket while her jeans were tucked into her short, purple boots.  

 

“Wh-what? Why would you suggest that? No! We respect each other, certainly not trust.  It’ll never be love. Bye!” replied Marianne, closing the door behind her to end that awkward conversation. Why would she suggest such a thing?

 

As she walked down the hall, Marianne found herself talking out loud, more to calm herself than anything as well as give a good pep talk.  “However good of a fighter he may be, he is  _ not _ at all appropriate to start a relationship with. He’s a vampire; I could never trust him not to kill me or try to manipulate me.  I just can’t trust them in general, really; I've sworn to loathe them for as long as I live because of Mom. Plus, I already made my vow: I’ll never fall in love again.  It’s not worth the pain.”

 

When she got off the elevator to the main floor of the building, she could hear Dawn and Bog clearly.  

 

“Bye, Boggy! I hope you have fun with Marianne!”

 

“It’s Bog, not Boggy.”

 

“Boggy, Bog, it’s just one syllable, silly.  What about… Boggy Woggy Kingy Wingy? I like that.”

 

“No!”

 

Marianne decided to step in and save Bog from further humiliation at her sister’s hands when she heard the panic and horror in his voice at the thought of being called that in public.  She didn’t blame him. At least in that respect, Dawn was a pro; she gave the silliest nicknames ever.

 

“Dawn, no.  Be nice to Bog; I have to work with him,” pleaded Marianne, swooping in and secretly winking at Bog before patting his arm so Dawn could see it.  “How am I supposed to face him if I keep hearing you call him Boggy Woggy Kingy Wingy?”

 

Stuff and Thang tittered nearby until Bog growled menacingly at them to shut up.  Dawn laughed as well until Marianne was at her side.

 

“Okay, Marianne, you win.  I’ll settle for Boggy. It’s much shorter.  Be ready to show me pictures when you come back!” The two sisters hugged as Dawn further added, “Try to have fun with Boggy.  He seems nice; I think he likes you.”

 

“What?” hissed the older sister, clutching her sister tightly.  “What are you talking about?”

 

She was equal parts curious and worried to know what made Dawn say this; Dawn was usually very good about  _ not  _ interfering in her love life after many discussions about men and Roland.  Their rule was simple: they never bothered the other about men as long as it didn't threaten their safety. Marianne had always wanted to add work on to that, but Dawn persisted against it, citing work was secondary to lasting relationships. 

 

“When I asked him if he was taking you to any romantic places, he stammered so much! It was  _ adorable!”  _ whispered Dawn, bouncing in place.  “He said that he didn’t intend for it to be romantic, even if it might appear that way.  That means that he  _ definitely _ intends for it to be; that’s why he wants to share a room with you.”

 

Dawn waggled her eyebrows suggestively, and Marianne laughed, clutching her stomach at the absurdity of the thought.  

 

“Okay, Dawn, you win for making me laugh most.  Go have fun with Sunny and find some vampires.”

 

Dawn sighed at not being taken seriously yet again, but she looked on the bright side and said in farewell, “I still have photos to show you! Remind me when we meet again.” 

 

“What was all that whispering about? I thought I heard my name,” said Bog, approaching Marianne slowly.  

 

“It’s just more about your nickname; don’t worry, be happy, and all that fun stuff as Sunny likes to say,” reassured Marianne, smiling at him.  “Now, about this flying business-”

 

“I don’t do planes.  They’re cramped for someone my size and useless when I can do the same and enjoy the view ten times more,” insisted Bog, pushing her toward the door.

 

“We could do a boat or a train-”

 

“No,” he interrupted, stern and implacable as ever on the subject, even stopping his forward movement to make a point.

 

“Fine,” she said, grabbing her purple suitcase and duffle again.  “But if you drop me at any point, I’m going to rent a Volkswagen Beetle and cram you into it for fun while I drive us to our location, no matter where it is.  Got it?”

 

Bog’s face twisted into something pained and slightly terrified by the prospect before nodding.  He was well-aware that Marianne didn’t make empty promises or idle threats. “Yes. However, your concern is unnecessary.  You’re my best way to find him, and I have no intention of injuring you and rendering you useless on this trip.”

 

“Good, glad we had that discussion,” she said, holding out her bags.  “So, where are we going? I take it it’s far away since we’re starting so early.”

 

“I’ll tell you once we’re in the air,” he said cryptically.

 

She rolled her eyes, and then they headed out into the night, the sun just having set.  Bog pulled his cloak around him before turning into a large bat. He picked up her two bags with his feet while she held onto his body, just above the feet.  The older a vampire was, the larger he grew as a bat, and due to his size, he could carry her easily. She would start the flight by holding on to him then riding on top of him.  After passing all the land going east, the two soon saw nothing but ocean. Marianne figured it was as good a time as any to start talking since the scenery was getting boring fast.  She had already switched over to sleeping during the day like Bog, so she was wide awake.

 

“So, what do you want to talk about first: why I have to sleep in the same room as you, why you hate Roland, or why you hate the Dark Forest Syndicate?”

 

She felt more than heard his deep sigh as he flapped harder, as though moving faster would prevent this conversation from happening.

 

“It’s a long story, but they’re all connected,” he conceded, his voice in her mind due to his being a bat.  “I’ll start at the beginning.”

 

“That would be nice,” she said dryly, making him chuckle.  He started soon after, and Marianne quickly discovered that she could listen to his brogue for any length of time and never get bored or tired.  

 

“About three hundred years ago-”

 

“Roland is that old?” screeched Marianne, cringing at kissing a three hundred year old man.

 

Bog laughed before adding, “Yes, and I’m over one thousand.  I’m ancient compared to him.”

 

“You don’t look it at all, not a day over thirty,” she said softly, trying to comfort him.  “You look good for your age.”

 

He didn’t speak for a moment, but she was sure that he was pleased about her comment, based on the way his cold body seemed to relax slightly.

 

“Be that as it may, I’m still hideous.  There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” he said, darkness and regret in his tone.  “I’ll forever be alone. I was ugly when I was not a vampire-”

 

“You couldn’t have been  _ that  _ bad,” she tried, but he overruled her.

 

“Every girl refused to be courted by me back then.  I only look this way now because I’ve had enough time to practice my glamoring skills.  What you see is not all of me, per say. There’s more,” he said, resigned and depressed.

 

“What does this have to do with all that I asked about?” she wondered, slightly confused.

 

“Everything! I finally found a vampire lord who had a young female vampire who would mate with me because I was powerful.  She was such a sweet, young thing, so innocent. Then, two days before our wedding, a hunter from the Syndicate staked her in front of me.  I killed the hunter on the spot. It was only a few years later I found out that she had been visited by Roland; he defiled her and convinced her to join him.  That was why the Syndicate had killed her, to prevent her from joining Roland. I’ve sworn to kill him since. As for the Syndicate, well, they have a bad habit of killing everyone I like.”

 

“I see.  That makes a lot more sense.  I’m sorry for your loss,” replied Marianne, looking up at his eyes.  “Losing what you love is hard.”

 

He harrumphed and replied, “It wasn't love since we barely knew one another. She was simply pretty, but I was so eager to give my heart to her in the hope of changing her mind about me. I talked to her for a month beforehand, and yet Roland still changed her mind in one meeting.”

 

He sighed, a new tone to his voice as he went on. “The problem was that I was right next door to her room.  I heard her scream. Had I been a little faster, I might’ve stopped the hunter from killing and figured out what happened.  I could’ve turned the sweet young thing away from Roland, and prevented two deaths,” said Bog, regret in his tone. “I’ve always wondered what could’ve happened.”

 

“There’s no point,” said Marianne, remembering her own past.  “I asked the same about my mother. What if she had not been killed by Roland? What could I have learned from her? Would I still be like this? What I discovered was that I’m strong either way.  I can’t dwell on the past, as the present is more important. I’m learned from that at least,” she said, growing more subdued.

 

“Do you miss her?” he asked gently.  “I miss my real parents still.”

 

Marianne couldn't imagine how it must be to go so long with their deaths like that. “Yes,” she said, emotion building within her, first for him, and then for her missing mother.  For several moments, she held her breath, forcing herself not to cry. She didn’t want to appear weak in front of him.

 

She remembered playing with toys and her mother singing to her late at night, always comforting her fears.  Then, one day, she was gone, and all of the fears came back. They only disappeared when her father insisted that there were no monsters and that they were safe in the forest because there were no monsters there.  

 

“But your father is still alive, correct?” he asked, trying to move her toward happier subjects.

 

“Yes,” she said fondly, smiling.  “He’s alive in that forest, living off the land with his gigantic beard and treehouse.  I swear he’s the modern-day Tarzan, as he has no desire to ever join civilization.”

 

Bog laughed before replying, “Given what I remember of all the creatures that visited your mother - and I suspect your father - I’m sure he wanted to live out his days in peace, away from all of that and the memories of her.”

 

“Yes.  The moment Dawn decided to leave the forest, he encouraged us to look for husbands.  He didn’t want us to be alone, even though we had each other. I never understood what he meant until I met Roland,” she said thoughtfully.  “It was….so nice having someone else who loved me despite my odd upbringing and understood me. Then, I found out the truth. Now, I’ll never trust anyone again.”

 

“Besides Dawn, Sunny, and Plum,” interjected Bog, making her think.

 

“Dawn I’ll always trust.  Sunny and Plum within reason, but not always.  Sunny is compromised when it comes to Dawn; I can’t trust him with her, not yet.  Plum is…..helpful but so odd. I don't understand her.”

 

Bog laughed at her definition of Plum.  “She is the most nosy being in existence.  She cares, but she never explains herself. She does and allows so many things that I can’t trust her since she won’t tell me a thing.”

 

“I guess she needed to tell me some things since I was so unaware of everything regarding being a hunter,” said Marianne, more to herself.  “I’ve doubted myself so much since Roland came into my life. I have trouble accepting and trusting myself sometimes. How could I have been so stupid?”

 

She felt like kicking something, so she was surprised when one of his skinny legs brushed against her cheek.

 

“Marianne, someone betrayed your trust and tricked you into believing in him just so he could kill you for fun.  You have every right to not trust me and every vampire you ever meet,” insisted Bog, his tone sensible before becoming softer, “even if I believe that you can trust me.  However, above all else, you must trust yourself. If you don’t, you’ll never truly be able to with anyone else. That’s what I’ve observed in my many long years, at least. I keep my guard up. I-”

 

“-never trust anybody,” said both in unison, they going silent afterward in embarrassment.

 

After a long silence, Bog said, “For the record, you had no idea that vampires existed and no reason to doubt Roland.  He took advantage of that. He manipulated you in a way that I hate-”

 

“You tried it on me twice!” screeched Marianne, immediately infuriated.

 

“As I said before, I just wanted to end the fight in a draw and not kill you-”

 

“But what about the first time?” asked Marianne, anger in her voice.  “Why did you ask me to go upstairs?”

 

“I-”

 

Bog went silent, not ready to speak.  In his mind, he knew that part of the reason was to interrogate her, but there was another part that he tried to ignore.  That was the part of him that had noticed Marianne as soon as he entered the main room, a new, pretty face in the earthen browns he grew up with and loved most.  She had captivated him instantly and had reflexes and magic that he could admire, not to mention a smell that made him want her. He had admired her in that moment of revelation, even knowing that she was his natural enemy.  In that respect, he doubted himself. Why did he show interest in a vampire hunter of all people? It made no sense, but there it was. There was much about her that attracted him to her, and she didn’t seem to have the slightest clue, nor cared.  

 

“You need to concoct that big of a lie for me, a lowly hunter?” quipped Marianne, drawing him out of his thoughts.

 

“No! Sorry, Tough Girl, but there’s no easy way to say this: I wanted to interrogate you and hear the truth about everything,” he said, deciding on telling her a half-truth.  

 

Marianne was greatly relieved.  “That’s what I figured, but I wanted to check.”

 

“I vow not to use that on you anymore; I need you to trust me while we’re fighting together,” he said, surprising her.  “We should practice fighting together when we land.”

 

“I’d be amenable to that,” she said, liking the idea very much.  “So, where are we going, exactly?”

 

“I never finished my earlier statement!” cried Bog, worry in his voice.  “What I was trying to say before being interrupted was that Roland took advantage of you and controlled your thoughts the whole time.  You have no reason to doubt yourself because of it; it’s all his fault, not yours. He made you think all that.”

 

Marianne went silent after that, his words giving her much to think about.  For a few hours, they maintained a comfortable silence. When they neared land, Bog stirred her from her thoughts, she now perched on his back.  “We’re approaching Europe. It won’t be long now.”

 

“Where are we going, and what are we doing here, exactly?” asked Marianne, worried and curious beyond measure.

 

“We’re going to Paris, France.  The reason for the visit is simple; I was summoned there by my mother,” he said, trying to sound nonchalant.

 

“Paris? I’ve always wanted to go there!” cried Marianne, pleased beyond measure.  “Will you show me the sights while we’re there? We can have an adventure wandering about the city at night, breaking into everything and avoiding all alarms.”

 

Bog chuckled and loved the idea at once.  He hadn’t been a tourist in Paris in a very long time.  “We should have time; we can take a few days to see all of my favorite spots-”

 

“Thank you!” she interrupted, squeezing him suddenly and making him stop moving his wings to absorb the moment.  

 

It was so rare that someone thanked him so eagerly; the fact that it was a hunter from the Syndicate seemed impossible, even if he understood otherwise.  She hadn’t been raised or formed by the Syndicate; she was different with her hoyden ways in the forest before joining civilization. She was wild and different, and he liked that about her very much.   

 

“You’re welcome,” he said, glad to be able to give that to her in the midst of forcing her to abide by his rules.

 

“But what on earth do you mean by summoned by your mother? You said your mother is dead,” she queried, very confused.

 

“My biological mother is dead; however, the vampire that turned me is still very much alive-”

 

“Everyone thinks that you’re the oldest vampire in existence,” she interrupted, quizzing him.  “How does that work?”

 

“It’s very simple, really; my mother was said to have died two hundred years ago.  She, however, prefers to live in anonymity like me, but surrounded by many more normal people and admirers.  She has homes in all of her favorite places, and she moves to each after enough time has passed that no one remembers her face.  Then, she waltzes in, claiming to be very young, and she loves every second of it.”

 

“So she’s doing all this moving just to be considered younger?” asked Marianne, baffled by the reasoning.

 

“Essentially. The woman who turned me is….peculiar at best.  The phrase ‘bat-shit crazy’ was created because of her,” he explained, neglecting to mention that he might have been involved in that name coming into the public domain.  “One day she just found me and decided that I should be a vampire; next thing I knew, I was waking up and craving blood. She’s always been very nurturing and supportive like a mother, but with more...quirks.”

 

“I can’t wait to meet her,” she replied, making him laugh.

 

“You will soon.  We’re almost there now.  Keep an eye out for people, and stay quiet.”

 

Thus ordered, the two remained quiet the rest of the flight until he was landing on the roof of a building near the center of Paris by the Champs Elysees.  When they had landed, Marianne took her luggage and followed behind Bog as he led her toward their home for the foreseeable future. It had the best security around, and Marianne felt safer just going through the multiple locked doors needing handprints and retinal scans.  Inside the apartments, all the windows had multiple panes of bulletproof glass for werewolf attacks, as well as the thickest, brightest, floral black-out curtains she had ever seen. At night, the curtains were pulled open giving the viewer a perfect aerial view of Paris. 

 

“Is that my Bog? Have I found him at long last?” called a slightly disgruntled voice.  “You’re several days late.” 

 

Marianne figured that Bog got some of his temperament as a vampire from his mother; as it turned out, it was one of the few things since they were vastly different.

 

“Yes, it’s me, the only one left to visit you.  I’m not available at your every whim; I have duties, like hiding your existence,” he reminded her, making the older woman grumble.  “However, I’ve brought someone with me that should appease you.”

 

“It’s not another vampire or mate, so I don’t care,” called the voice, making Marianne giggle.  “Wait, it  _ is  _ a woman? Let me see.”

 

Marianne was unprepared for how short and skinny the older woman was as she waddled quickly into the room, her eyes brightening as she took in the guest. Soon, she was close enough to Marianne to smell her, examining everything about her. “Oh, but she’s lovely! Fine-looking and strong, good muscle tone-”

 

“Mother, it’s not like that-”

 

“What are you doing?” asked Marianne, leaping away when the female vampire touched her stomach.

 

“Not right now, Bog, I’m busy.  She’s young, has excellent reflexes, and possesses some magic already.  She’d be an excellent choice for a mate, Bog, as would anyone from her family. She would survive being turned. I approve.”

 

“Mother, no!” 

 

Bog wanted to spontaneously combust or be staked on the spot, so long as he didn’t have to face Marianne.  He would  _ never  _ live this down.  Marianne laughed as he covered his cheeks to hide the non-existent blush on his features.

 

“You’ve never brought a girl home before; what are you expecting me to say? I’m proud of you, son, really proud.  You brought a fine specimen home with you,” responded his mother, patting his arm. “Come here and hug your only living mother,” she said, waving for him to approach her.

 

“Mother, you don’t understand-”

 

“I will once you hug me.  Mother knows best. Now get over here.”

 

Bog sighed and bent over in half in an attempt to hug his mother properly so that she would stop interrupting him.  Even then, he looked supremely awkward, as much of a height difference as there was between them. Marianne stood back and loved watching the interplay and familial tenderness between them, even if it was tinged with a crustiness that was inherited.

 

The short woman grinned and sighed contentedly.  “My only boy left: you’ve been so good to me. You had better be since I cared for you for twenty-three months after I turned you.”

 

“Mother, please stop!” 

 

“Did he tell you yet that he’s part goblin?” asked the old woman conversationally.  “When I found him, he was the tallest man and goblin I had ever seen since he was descended from goblin royalty; I knew at once that he needed to become one of my brood.  He’s a very loyal boy, if very cantankerous and anti-social.”

 

Marianne grinned at Bog, who ducked his head as he tried to escape his mother’s clutches.

 

“Mother, that’s enough! Marianne is not-”

 

“Oh, so her name’s Marianne? That’s a lovely name, old-fashioned and full of possible nicknames later on,” continued the mother vampire blithely, unconcerned by Bog’s protests.  “I’m Griselda by the way, deary. I have a comb in the guest room if you’d like to use it; I suggest you do since you’ve been flying. Your hair shows it.”

 

“Mother, she’s Marianne  _ Fairfield _ ,” said Bog, moving away and looking at his mother significantly.  “Remember?”

 

“Fairfield, Fairfield, where have I heard that name before?” asked Griselda, tapping her chin.  “It’s not fairy or elf, nor werewolf.”

 

“Not siren, correct?” added Bog, more for his own peace of mind.

 

“No, definitely not that or goblin.  I’ve heard it within the last one hundred years… it affected me - oh.”

 

Griselda’s eyes widened as she took in Marianne once more, nodding to confirm what she saw. Then, she turned to Bog, and just as quickly as Marianne would in a fight, she slapped her son, jumping to reach the right height with ease from practice of doing it often to Bog. 

 

“How  _ dare _ you bring one of our few natural enemies still in existence into my home? Didn’t I raise you better than that? Did I not lead you about and show you how to hunt for twenty-three months-”

 

“Enough, Mother. She doesn’t want to hurt us; she's actually going to help us for once, despite her being a part of the Syndicate-”

 

“She’s in the Syndicate, too? Oh, the depths that my Bog has fallen!” wailed Griselda.  “He’s fallen in love with his enemy.”

 

As Bog spluttered in outrage, Marianne decided to step in since Bog was getting nowhere.  As much as she enjoyed watching Bog squirm, enough was enough. 

 

“Excuse me, Griselda, but we’re not in love, nor do we plan to mate.  We’re simply working together on a case.”

 

“Simply working together, my foot!” said Griselda, stomping her foot for emphasis.  “I see the way he looks at you; he likes you!”

 

Marianne tried to act casual, even if she was inclined to believe her since she had known Bog so long. She trusted her a lot more than she did Dawn, but Dawn was also much more intuitive than she was.

 

She tried to refute the point by stating the obvious in as ho-hum of a voice as she could. “He’s known me all of maybe three weeks; it’s highly unlikely and irregular for a vampire and hunter to fall for one another, so-”

 

“I know what I know, and I see what I see.  Why else would he bring you to the most secure place in Paris and ask to share a room with you?” asked Griselda, making her way to Marianne and pointing a bony finger in her face as she smiled smugly.  

 

“Because Roland Knight is on a killing spree and won’t stop until he kills me. Bog and I are working together to make a plan to kill him while here in Paris, or wherever Roland finds me next,” explained Marianne calmly. “Bog thinks I need more protection, and I’m very honored to meet you.”

 

Griselda’s mouth gaped as she looked between the two, not believing her eyes or ears.  However, eventually she came around. “Why are you here?” asked Griselda, looking at Marianne with narrowed eyes.

 

“To kill a vampire and see the sights,” replied the hunter, shrugging her shoulders since she didn't understand the meaning of the question.

 

With that, Griselda kept her head high as she waddled back to her drawing room to enjoy tea.  Before she closed the door, she yelled, “Both of you freshen up before you step foot in my parlor.  When you come in, I expect to see clean, nice clothes and a better cover story for why you’re here.”

 

“She’s a little intimidating, though tiny,” commented Marianne when the door closed.

 

“And a whole lot nosy and stubborn,” added Bog.

 

“I can hear both of you and your sad attempts at whispering. I’m over three thousand years old; I have the best hearing ever.  Be grateful I’m letting you stay here; now get upstairs,” called Griselda, pounding against a wall. 

 

Bog sighed and showed Marianne around until they came to the largest guest room.  Two king-size beds had been setup, and the drawers and closets contained all of Bog’s clothing from previous visits.

 

“I hope you’re not attached to the clothes you brought; she’s going to see your comfortable wardrobe and insist on you buying new things that are more fashionable and don’t smell as good,” said Bog, stepping into his walk-in closet.

 

“What do you mean by my clothes smelling good?” asked Marianne, puzzled at once.  

 

“I, uh, certain species’ blood smells better than others,” explained Bog, hoping that was enough.

 

It wasn’t.  “I thought all enemies of vampires had blood that smelled distasteful.  Why does mine smell good?”

 

Bog grumbled, “Because you’re meant to be savored, not killed.”

 

“What did you say?” asked Marianne, coming closer to him and standing in the doorway to the closet.

 

He sighed and hoped that the plane delivering Stuff and Thang arrived when scheduled. Having her so close was going to drive him batty.  Speaking louder, he amended, “Because you’re meant to live, not be killed.”

 

She nodded and smiled.  “Do you really think that Griselda will hate me now? I don’t want to be kicked out of such a safe place.”

 

“You won’t be, don’t worry,” he said, rubbing the back of her hand.  “Didn’t you hear all the nice things she said about you at first? I wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to get us to mate anyway; she’s been trying for far too long to find someone for me.”

 

“How does that make you feel?” she asked, surprised that he continued to rub her hand.  It felt far more pleasant than it had any right to.

 

“It frustrates me, but I’m used to her saying embarrassing things.  You’ll get used to it, too,” he said, trying to encourage her. “It’s just going to be very painful on this trip, seeing as we do need a cover story for visiting.”

 

“Students studying art abroad or looking for research on a book won’t work?” asked Marianne, racking her brain for ideas.  

 

“No, not if we’re going to stay so close to one another.  As much as I hate the idea for fear of the teasing it will cause, I think it’s best if we pose as a married couple on our honeymoon.”

 

He froze to his spot, eyes finally darting to check on Marianne's reaction. She smiled, and he let out the breath he had been holding. 

 

“Sure, it makes sense, seeing as we’re already sharing a room and all that,” commented Marianne.  “I’m not sure how we’re going to do at acting in love-”

 

“It won’t be hard,” he said, grimacing at how he sounded.  “We just have to smile at and talk to one another a lot, have a cute nickname, and think of a creative way of meeting.”

 

“Which we already do on all counts.  Well, except the smiling, but we can work on that, I guess,” said Marianne, slowly warming to the idea. Inwardly, she was giving Dawn more credit for her crazy ideas.

 

“Good. I’m calling you Tough Girl, and you are under no circumstances to call me Boggy Woggy Kingy Wingy, got it? It’s just Boggy.”

 

She smiled, already excited to go undercover just to call him Boggy.  “Fine. I’m going to change in the bathroom; tell me when you’re decent.”

 

“I'm decent,” he called out a little later.

 

“Ok, almost done. This is going to become the new normal for us, just so you know,” she said as she finished dressing.

 

“What is? Us talking through the door like an old married couple or you taking over my bathroom?” joked Bog.  He was pleased when he heard her chuckle. 

 

“It's my bathroom now, Boggy. As long as we're living together, this is the only truly private place to change.”

 

“I could turn around and hide my eyes,” he tried, his grin broadening when he heard her snort.

 

“You could totally cheat. No way, Bog. I don't trust you.”

 

“You will,” he promised, his words more solemn than he had intended. Nonetheless, it was true; he wanted to earn her trust. It was so rarely given.

 

A short time later, they made their way to the parlor for tea. Bog thought she looked good in forest green, and Griselda smiled slightly.

 

“Deary, all of your clothes are so dark and old. You should get something more form-fitting and in right now. I'm sure the Syndicate doesn't pay well. Bog, take her shopping tomorrow. Take her to Imp's boutique.”

 

“Who's Imp?” whispered Marianne while Griselda was a charming hostess and brought out the tea things.

 

“The fairy fashion designer who my mother has a love/hate relationship with,” replied Bog.

 

“Hey, I used to be hot back in the day. Imp just doesn't do a lot of good stuff for ladies my height. You're the perfect size, though, Marianne. Now, what would you like to know about Bog?”

 

Marianne was kept vastly entertained as Griselda told embarrassing stories about Bog.  In her mind, Marianne couldn’t help but wonder more about what Dawn had said about Bog liking her.  It was unromantic being forced to listen to all those stories of Bog, but meeting his mother and acting as they would certainly gave her pause.  Despite the self-consciousness, Bog still enjoyed himself and did smile far more than she had ever seen him before, he clearly relaxed where he was. When they finally went upstairs to sleep, the dressing was done in a perfunctory manner until Marianne walked out in shorts and tank top. Bog’s eyes boggled at seeing so much skin, heretofore always covered by pants or long skirts with slits, or her customary jacket.

 

“What? I’m a hunter, not a doll or debutante,” she said harshly as she hurried to slip under the covers, sitting stiffly with the covers at her shoulders.

 

“I know, ah, I know,” he stammered, unprepared for the vision she had presented. “I had been expecting flawless, creamy skin-”

 

“So had Roland,” muttered Marianne, mentally kicking herself for believing that Bog would be different. She told herself after Roland left that she didn't care about appearances, that she was pretty with them because they proved that she was strong and was a survivor. All the same, a year of hurtful comments from Roland had added much to her insecurities that she tried hard to hide. She wore them proudly, even if she covered them up. She had before Roland because it was colder outside, but she felt shame because of them as a result of Roland.

 

“He said I had too many scratches and scars from injuries growing up, and now that I've gotten into fights with supernatural beings, I've earned bigger, nastier ones. I'm proud of them-

 

“Marianne, stop,” demanded Bog, he suddenly at her bedside.

 

She wasn't sure when he had moved or why, but there he was, looming over her with angry eyes. She didn't care. “Why do you care-”

 

“Because it clearly hurts you when it shouldn't,” he said, making her pause. “You  _ should  _ be proud of them. In goblin culture, the more scars you have, the more capable you are.  You're a brave warrior, Tough Girl,” he said, one hand resting on her shoulder before a finger curled around the edge.

 

His eyes found hers as he silently asked permission to move the blankets. She was at a loss after what he had said, so she just nodded. He grinned, his sharp canines showing as he tugged gently at the covers, they sliding down to reveal the smattering of scars she had. Bog's hand found one at her shoulder, tracing it down her arm. She shivered at the intimate, delicate touch he gave her until he found another scar to explore. She let him see both arms before she grew self-conscious, blushing slightly. 

 

“Bog, shouldn't we sleep?”

 

He didn't want to; he wanted to know what other stories her scars told. However, she also seemed slightly uncomfortable.

 

“We should. I'm sorry if I got carried away. It's so rare to see a woman so….”

 

“Different?” she tried, grimacing slightly.

 

“Yes. That's what I like!” he exclaimed, voice growing softer to hide his growing interest and attraction to her. “I was going to say decorated. You should never be ashamed to show these off. I'd be proud to escort such a woman; then everyone would be afraid of us.”

 

Marianne didn't want to admit how relieved and happy she was to hear all that. Bog had another small part of her trust in that moment without realizing it.

 

“I'm glad you're proud, seeing as you will be tomorrow and for the duration of our stay here; though we may want to fit in a little more,” she suggested before taking his hand and squeezing it. 

 

He smiled at the contact, and he was pleased to see her blush in response. He wanted to make her blush more. “I never want you to fit in, Marianne. You were meant to stand out like this and be beautiful.”

 

When he realized his mistake in not saying different instead of beautiful, he glanced at her. She raised her eyebrows at him, as though asking him if he meant to say that. His eyes lingered and looked her over once more with appreciation to make his point before he rushed off to bed, feeling his boldness had gone too far.

 

After an awkward silence, she asked, “How long does your mother expect us to stay?”

 

“At least a week, but longer is always welcome. After tonight, I'm sure it'll be longer,” he replied, watching as she settled into her bed.

 

With a press of a button, darkness filled the space as the sun rose behind the black curtains. When they awoke, both hadn't slept as well, so they were cranky at breakfast and as they made their way to Imp's boutique, Le Philtre d'Amour.

 

“Why did you tell Mother about my nickname?” he asked acidly as they walked briskly. “You know I hate it.”

 

She walked beside him in an equally poor mood. “It's a cover; get used to hearing it,  _ husband _ . You gave me a ring at breakfast. A ring!”

 

“It was a part of the cover-”

 

She stopped to get in his face at the entrance to the boutique. “Then why was it one that you've had in your family for generations that your mother has been saving? Why not some random one?”

 

“Because my wife would wear this one. It would show that you're where you belong: with me.”

 

She felt awkward wearing the amber-colored stone all the same. It felt special. 

 

“Why were you insisting on pushing in my chair and standing way too close when I asked to be left alone in peace? I wasn't fully awake,” she said.

 

She wasn't used to such attention. Roland tried it once, and he stopped as soon as she told him to stop. Bog persisted, even doing it more as a result.

 

“If you hadn't been snoring and keeping me up, then I wouldn't have felt the need to annoy you. However, fair is fair,” he reasoned, leading her inside.

 

“Fair? You want to talk about being fair?” she asked, voice rising. “You were snoring louder than a sea lion begging for food! For the record, I do  _ not  _ snore-”

 

“That's rich. You do, Princess. Don't let your sister tell you otherwise,” he said, his hand at her elbow. “I'm going-”

 

“To kiss her? That sounds like an excellent idea,” said a young, white-haired man in a white suit. “A couple shouldn't stay angry with one another; you should kiss and make up. Go on, new customers,” he said, eyes sparkling as he looked at Bog.

 

“Marianne, we don't have to. This guy-”

 

“Is harmless,” she said, even as she detected magic within him. She suspected he was the owner, and she wanted to make a good impression. “I'm Marianne, by the way. We just got married, and now we're honeymooning here.”

 

“Then you should have the special bridal discount, as soon as you kiss,” said Imp, smiling expectantly.

 

“Marianne,” Bog got out before a finger touched his lips, silencing him.

 

“We can do this; it's just a small kiss as a couple,” she said as a way to convince them both. 

 

Then, she dove right in, the hand at Bog's lips taking hold of his chin to drag him down to her level. He complied at once, eyes shocked until their lips touched. Then, both sets of eyes closed as heat suffused throughout Marianne's body. Soon his hands angled her face and lips to deepen the kiss, and they didn't stop until a throat was cleared. They leapt apart, both embarrassed beyond words.

 

“Definitely a new couple. There's such a fire within. I hope you never lose that spark. Now, how can I assist you today in looking for new clothes?”

 

It didn't take long for Imp to find a large number of purple, dark green, and rich brown outfits that both approved of. The first few were immediately liked and agreed upon, but it was later ones - one with shorter skirts or that showed more skin - that made Marianne uneasy. She rejected two, and then she tried on a form-fitting, purple, spaghetti-strap dress that had pockets.

 

“Bog, I don't think I should bother showing this one to you. There's no reason-”

 

“Poppycock. Let me see it, Marianne. I've been anxiously awaiting this one,” he admitted, getting up from his seat.

 

She opened the door and twirled, the pleats at the bottom of the dress expanding as she whirled to face him. “It's great for dancing and nothing else-”

 

“I'm buying it for you,” he interrupted, making her look on in surprise. “You're breathtaking. Everyone is going to be jealous of me when they see you beside me.”

 

Marianne was not prepared for the heat in his eyes as he made his way over, circling her to admire it more. 

 

“It's perfect for you,” he whispered in her ear from behind. “I hope you'll wear it for me sometime.”

 

His right hand found her elbow before sliding up to trace a long scar, making her shiver once more. When his wandering hand stopped to rest, it lay on top of her shoulder, his cold hands welcome against her overheated skin. His left hand found the slits on the side of the dress and rested comfortably, pressing her closer to him to claim her. 

 

When several male customers came forward, one giving Marianne an appreciative look, Bog growled at him and pressed her against him. Marianne was a little relieved to see other men take an interest in her, but Bog's behavior annoyed her more. 

 

“Bog!” she hissed. “You know I’m not interested and that I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself-”

 

“I know you are. However right now, you're acting as my shield and reason to not go over there and do something I regret.”

 

She rolled her eyes but smiled. At least he was honest. “Don't look at them. Close your eyes and rest against me like normal couples do and prove you are with me, not just pretending. Something besides showing off your fangs or getting all territorial when you have no reason to do so.”

 

“Fine,” he said, relenting and leaning in.

 

It had been a mistake, a wonderful, terrible mistake. For one second, it was glorious as he leaned against her skin, reveling in the feel of her against him, especially when she rested her chin on top of his head. Then, it became painful as her scent filled his nostrils, and he had the overwhelming need to feed. Stuff and Thang were due to arrive within an hour after a delayed flight, and he was going to need them. He needed  _ something _ to keep the edge off so he wasn't tempted by Marianne. So, he stayed put until the crowd left, his arms wrapped around her torso like she was his. In that moment, he wished she was.

 

Marianne had never experienced….whatever it was that she shared with Bog in that moment. It felt warm and tender, very much like acceptance, something she had lacked in every relationship outside family. They felt like a real couple since they acted so comfortable with the other. To a certain extent, it was true: they knew the best and worst of each other from proximity and time, and since they were in this thing together, they trusted each other not to cause harm. It was mind blowing to Marianne at how easy he accepted her as she was, and she found it easy to like him when she considered him compassionately - just like a normal person, human with flaws and feelings. 

 

“Bog?” she asked softly, nudging his head with her chin.

 

“Huh?” he said, voice in a stupor, as though he were sleepy or drunk as he jerked his head up. 

 

“All the crowds have left. We're the only ones in here besides the guy helping us.”

 

“Oh. That's nice,” he said, head falling back to rest comfortably against her. “Tell me when you're ready to go.”

 

“I need to try on more, Boggy. You have to let go of me, as I refuse to change with you inside there with me,” she said, hoping the nickname would wake him up 

 

It didn't. 

 

“Could be fun,” he muttered, voice husky as his hands played with the hem of her shirt. “I'd be very helpful with undressing; anything to see more of you and your skin.”

 

Roland had  _ never  _ said anything so blatantly suggestive to her like that. She assumed it was because he had never seen her as attractive, whereas Bog clearly did. His throaty words said in a thicker brogue than usual charged the air around them, it becoming heavy and tense as he seemed to wait for her, his hands still playing with her shirt. She was starting to understand why Bog didn't trust anyone anymore; it was so easy to become addicted to his roaming touch and the warmth he caused.

 

“Alright, alright, off you go,” she said, laughing to try to lighten the mood before he thought that she was taking him seriously. She started to wiggle out of his grasp, so he sighed and then kissed the juncture of her neck and shoulders briefly before moving away, their eyes locked on one another and all too aware of each other. Again, his eyes were dark, and she felt that warmth and tension building between them. Something new had been introduced to their relationship. Never had she wanted to explore something she desperately feared so much.

 

“Well, aren't you two adorable! Shall we try the rest of the outfits?” asked Imp, now facing them and ruining the moment.

 

“Just this one,” she pleaded, grabbing her favorite. 

 

Imp sighed dramatically but let her choose only one before grabbing more that he felt were perfect for her. Bog followed them to the dressing room, muttering about clothes.

 

When he had been muttering long enough for Marianne to assume that he was awake, she asked over the dressing room door, “So tell me, Boggy, how often do you drink?”

 

“Rarely,” he said, sounding sad. “Everyone I know says I'm too honest when I drink too much, so I avoid it. I cause even more fights.” 

 

Marianne snorted before saying, “What are you considered normally? Barely hiding how much you hate others?” 

 

“I used to be worse, especially after that fateful day,” he said.

 

“If it makes you feel any better, I get more belligerent when drunk,” she offered. “I've been kicked out of tons of bars for starting fights.”

 

“Considering you never had alcohol for a long time and your….formidable personality now-”

 

She laughed before replying, “It's okay, Bog, you can be honest. I'm confrontational-”

 

“But in the best way!” he insisted. “You're not nasty, and I'd bet that you fought a lot of people for your sister's sake.”

 

“More than half the time, yes. Despite the fact that she drives me crazy, I love her dearly,” she said, not liking the outfit and trying another that Imp had shoved in her face.

 

“How many of your scars are from bar fights?” he asked, seeming closer.

 

“I'll show you later tonight. If you tire me out from our first practice, I might even tell stories,” she replied.

 

“So you're talkative when you're sleepy like me?” he asked, seeming surprised. “Probably not as honest as me, though.”

 

“No, definitely not. Just more willing to chat,” she said as she walked out in another outfit.

 

He nodded appreciatively. “I look forward to it.”

 

They went into a comfortable silence after that as she went back in to try on more outfits at Imp's encouragement. It was as she was making final decisions in the dressing room that she connected Bog's words about being sleepy and drunk to his words earlier about helping her undress.  She felt uncomfortably warm in that moment. For the first time in forever as she gazed at herself in the mirror wearing only underwear, she wasn't ashamed. It was comforting knowing that she wasn't the only one proud of her scars and not scared of her past. She squeezed Bog’s hand extra tight when she exited the room, and he didn't question it.

 

The rest of the shopping trip went off without a hitch until Imp revealed that he knew Bog and who they were since the beginning. 

 

“Then why did you ask us to kiss?” asked Marianne, looking befuddled.

 

“Because I wanted to know the lengths you would go.  You'll be set with the rest of the world with that kind of kiss.”

 

Both looked anywhere but at each other in response. After that, Marianne showed off her new outfits to Griselda at home while Bog fed greedily. Then the actual married couple enjoyed a nice meal before they went back to their hotel to relax.

 

“They don't get a lot of time alone, so we won't see them unless I need to feed,” Bog informed his fake wife at supper. “Which is fine by me. Their incompetence amazes me sometimes.”

 

“I just can't believe they're married! They bicker and snap at each other so much. They really do-”

 

“Exemplify the old married couple who always argue? Yes,” agreed Bog. “Theirs is an odd relationship.”

 

Right before bed, the two began their new ritual of practicing fighting together in a large room Bog used. The night was full of questions as the two felt out how much each could move, and what it would take to fight in tandem. When they decided to fight back to back based on its success rate with the sisters, they compared fighting styles and ideas. 

 

“Based on how much spirit you have, Tough Girl, you should use me as a springboard to launch yourself at our antagonists,” he suggested. “I could lean over like this-”

 

“That looks way too uncomfortable, Bog. Don't lean quite so much to strain yourself. You're not holding your staff, either.”

 

“Very true,” he said, grabbing his weapon and getting into position. “This is more accurate and comfortable.”

 

“So I just what exactly?” she asked, leaning against him and trying to figure out how to make his idea happen. She was used to fighting back to back with her sister, but they each did their own thing. 

 

“Get your feet into position to run. Ready?”

 

“Yes?” she said, trusting him.

 

Suddenly, his left arm swung around and lifted her slightly so her back pressed against his. “Ready to run, Tough Girl?”

 

“How?” she asked, making him laugh as he pushed her forward.

 

She landed on her feet and dashed toward the wall. When she recovered from that maneuver, she finally connected the dots.

 

“So you want me to jump up as you push me forward?”

 

“Exactly!” he cried, breaking his stance to glance at her excitedly. “Let's practice the jump and push.”

 

At first, they weren't in sync, each elbowing the other or sending the other off-balance. Marianne fell to the ground twice. Soon they were counting it out and trying any number of things, and eventually, it worked. After their first successful try, both were glowing. When they were both satisfied that they could pull off the maneuver a few times without incident, they went to bed. Exhausted, Marianne told her stories of bar fights involving Dawn, and Bog listened raptly before they both drifted off to sleep. Thankfully, both slept well that night and didn't get woken up by each other's snores. 

 

As they went sightseeing in Paris, Marianne realized how little Bog smiled or seemed comfortable as they interacted with unknown people. Compared to other couples, he never smiled, so she endeavored to find ways to fix it, whether making an inappropriate comment or jabbing him playfully.  Then, he had a toothy grin for her that set her equally at ease. Together, they spent five days exploring everything in Paris she had always wanted to see, and she was glad to see that he got more comfortable around her a little more each day between the long walks, odd conversations, and more moves they practiced together at night. She grew more comfortable as well, shedding more layers and taking Bog's hand more and more often as she got used to it, whether touching one of her scars, when correcting or adjusting one of the forms they practiced, or when they acted like a couple in front of others. 

 

One night, they crossed the Seine River on one of its many bridges, and Marianne begged to stop to look at the reflection of the full moon in the water.  Bog agreed only for her sake.

 

“I don’t know why you’re so self-conscious about your appearance since you’ll never see it again and you look good,” she tried, hoping to get some further nugget about why he felt that way about himself.

 

“Marianne, please.  What I could look like is something I’d like to avoid you ever seeing.  If that side of me comes out of my shell, then we’re in a dangerous setting.  I’m a killing machine, a hideous beast,” he said, putting his head in his hands.  “Don’t wish to see it or ask more.”

 

She nodded.  “Ok, let’s change the topic to me since you don’t want to talk about yourself.  Anything about me you want to ask?”

 

“Why didn’t you tell Plum about my group?” he asked quickly before adding, “I really appreciate it - you not telling - but I don’t get why.”

 

Their eyes met, and Marianne found it hard to breathe when he looked at her like that, all awe and tenderness there.  When she found the words, she said, “You took a chance on me, your enemy and a Syndicate member; you trusted me. I felt I owed you the same.  If something were to ever happen to the Syndicate, it would relieve me to know that there were others ready to step in.”

 

“If you’d like, you may attend the meetings going forward,” offered Bog, making her eyes widen and cheeks turn red.

 

“You’d do that… for me? You trust me?” she asked in a small voice, taking his cold hands.

 

“Yes,” he said, tightening his grip on her.  It hadn’t been planned; it just sort of tumbled out in the mixture of his feelings as he gazed at her under the moonlight.  Regardless of how good she smelled, she was still a broken soul looking for trust and belonging, just as he was. He wanted to take a chance on her because he felt that he could trust her.  “I do.”

 

“Thank you.”  She was captivating then as she glowed in the pale moonlight; she was meant to be a creature of the night, to show off the purple kohl and clothes she liked.  

 

He grew shy as he hit upon an idea.  “How would you like to escape my mother’s home for dinner tomorrow night? I’ll show you my favorite bar in Montmartre; there’s good food, drinks, lots of singing and dancing, sometimes a live band-”

 

“You had me at good food,” said Marianne, smiling as she touched a finger to his lips.  “I’d love to go tomorrow.”

 

Both grinned before Bog slid a tentative arm around Marianne’s waist to walk back.  It was peaceful then, and the two were in good spirits the following evening as they strolled through the narrow, winding streets, Marianne in her new purple dress.  They were barely in the door before Marianne stopped, looking around cautiously.

 

“Bog, there’s a vampire already in here.  Do you think it could be Roland?”

 

“No.  He’s pure vampire, and this one’s muddied, like me.  He’s most likely harmless. Let’s just go in and act natural; he probably won’t notice us.  C’mon, Tough Girl,” he said, holding out his hand.

 

“Alright,” she replied, taking his hand and several hesitant steps, as though afraid to get pricked by the floor if she stepped too hard.

 

The atmosphere inside the place was hopping, the live band playing lively jazz and big band music, allowing couples to dance.  Playbills and posters from shows at the local theaters from the past couple hundred years were displayed on the red brick walls, and the heavenly smell of bread was in the air.   

 

“This is a good spot,” said Bog, laying down his coat in a big booth in the corner.  “We shouldn’t be disturbed here.”

 

“I can’t wait to try the food.  Where’s the menu?” she asked before he handed it to her.

 

“Just look over this, but I think I know what you ought to try and would like since I’ve been here so much.  I’m curious to know how it compares,” he said, his relaxed composure freezing as he saw a flash of yellow on the dance floor.  “Marianne?”

 

“Yeah?” she asked, looking up and following Bog’s line of vision.

 

Sure enough, a short, blonde woman was swing-dancing and making cheering noises with an even shorter guy.  Both smiled and seemed to be having the time of their lives.

 

“Why are they here?” he asked slowly, his eyes narrowing as he peered down at her. “In Paris? I thought I made it clear that it was only the two of us who worked together.”

 

She panicked. “Bog, I had no idea they were still in Paris! She’s had at least a week to capture the guy, which is way more than she needs-”

 

“But you knew she was here,” he said, frowning.

 

“Yes, for other work previously.  She was here while I was in Quebec with you; I don’t understand.  Actually, now that I’m looking at them, I know exactly why they’re here,” she said, looking at them more closely.  “They just wanted an excuse to spend time together in a romantic city. I should’ve known it! Oh, Dawn, why didn’t you just say so?”

 

Bog had been ready to say a lot of cutting things to Marianne, but as he watched and listened to her speak to an absent Dawn, he realized that she truly had no idea.  She had trusted her sister, and now it had led to this.

 

“What do you want to do about it?” he asked, touching her elbow.

 

She saw the understanding in his eyes, and she didn’t know why she deserved it.  All the same, she was going to make this right. Bog evidently liked the place, so she saw no harm in suggesting, “Let’s go bump into them on the dance floor.  You like to dance, right?”

 

“I can dance, but normally I just tolerate it,” he said.  “What about you?”

 

“I  _ love  _ dancing,” she said, getting up and reaching for his hand.  That time, it was Bog’s turn to make uneasy steps, but Marianne’s enthusiasm was enough to spur him on.    

 

“I’m Getting Sentimental Over You” oozed from the band, and Bog carefully pulled Marianne against himself. They had barely made a few steps before she had to glare at him.

 

“Bog, if you move any slower or treat me like a breakable doll any longer, I'm going to call you by your least favorite nickname for all to hear.”

 

He cringed before replying, “Sorry, I haven't danced with a woman in a while. Perhaps you should-”

 

“A great idea,” she said, taking advantage of the pause in music to change how he held her. She took a step toward him and positioned his hand at her waist a little lower so it didn't seem like she was dancing with a respectful grandfather. “You can hold me a little tighter.”

 

“Like this?” he asked, experimentally trying it out, long, strong fingers biting into her exposed skin on the side of the dress. 

 

“Much better,” she said, loving the touch of his hand as her right took his left. “Now you don't feel like you're afraid of me.”

 

“It's not you, per se, but hurting you,” he admitted. “I'm surprised you even want to dance after all that you probably did with Roland.”

 

He was about to apologize when he saw her grimace, but she beat him to it. “I loved it before Roland; I don't intend to let him win by giving up all I loved before just because he infected it once.”

 

“Infected is a good word,” agreed Bog, growing more confident. “Let's make new memories, then.”

 

They were just starting to get into the dance when the song ended. Another soon started, and when Bog saw that she knew “In The Mood”, he adjusted their positions to start swing dancing. 

 

Just like when they practiced fighting together, their dancing was hesitant and experimental at first until Bog saw how far he could push Marianne to keep up with his large steps and turns that led into one another. Soon, one step flowed into the next seamlessly, and Marianne was a purple blur as she was led around the room, each underarm turn and hammerlock another moment when the two felt more in synch than ever before as they learned each other's rhythm. 

 

Just as things were starting to get good, the song ended, and Bog attempted to recover. However, in his rush to get her back to starting position, she stepped on the heel of someone else.

 

“My apologies - Dawn?”

 

“Marianne!” cried a blushing Dawn. “What are you doing here?”

 

“I should ask you the same thing, missy. I thought you had work to do.”

 

Dawn saw her sister's stern look and knew a lecture was coming. In an attempt to lessen it a little in front of Sunny, she used her secret weapon with Marianne: hugs. 

 

“Hugging will not get you out of an explanation,” said Marianne weakly after her sister pulled her into a death grip and told her how happy she was to see her.

 

“I know, but it's still good to see you,” replied Dawn. “Where are you seated?”

 

Bog and Sunny were already chatting at the booth when the sisters finished hugging. Once seated, Marianne looked at her younger sister expectantly.

 

“So we found the guy here really fast, and we decided that if we got at least three more found just as fast, we would reward ourselves by coming back here to enjoy it more since I never made it to the Eiffel Tower,” explained Dawn. “So we did! It was great.”

 

“How long have you been here now?” asked Marianne, very relieved that Dawn wasn't letting her interest in Sunny blind her. 

 

“Two days. Sunny said we needed to check out this place; look at our timing. Great minds think alike! So, how did  _ you  _ end up here? Did Bog take you here after you showed interest?”

 

“I, um,” stammered Bog, looking away uncomfortably. 

Marianne put an understanding hand on his arm, quieting him. He heaved a sigh and let her answer.

 

“No, Bog knows someone here that he actually likes-”

 

“It's his mother,” stage-whispered Sunny to Dawn. “Don't let them fool you. She's one of the few he gets along with.”

 

“How did you know?” roared Bog, giving Sunny a dark look. “I've never told anyone-”

 

“Except Stuff and Thang. Thang will tell you anything when you drink together, though,” said Sunny, grinning slightly. “How else do you think I learn so much about so many vampires? I talk to their blood donors.”

 

“Which is why you've never kept one. Interesting,” mused Bog, giving Sunny a nod and respecting him a great deal more. 

 

Sunny shrugged as the sisters also looked at him. Dawn was beside herself with pride. 

 

“That's brilliant, Sunny! My bright, little sleuth,” she cooed, touching his cheek fondly. 

 

Sunny averted his eyes at the affection but touched Dawn's other hand in response. Marianne saw the writing on the wall as she observed her sister; the sister duo days were quickly coming to an end. Either Sunny was joining full-time, or else the sisters would be going solo. Marianne had no desire to be a third wheel, so the latter option was looking more desirable by the second. 

 

The only problem was that Roland was still on the loose. Marianne couldn't let her sister go out alone like that, even if it was Sunny, someone who loved her. She was quite sure the feeling was mutual between the two, but Roland could use it against them, which she feared. It gave her further impetus to find and kill Roland, just so she could give her sister the life she wanted. As much as she loved her sister, she knew when she had to let go.

 

“Marianne?” asked Bog, touching her arm. “Don't bother trying to talk to them more tonight. Give them tonight before you attempt to interrogate Sunny and threaten his life.”

“I already did the latter,” she said proudly. “But you're probably right. I'm just worried.”

 

“Don't be,” he said. “She’s your sister. You always will be to some degree, but this is Sunny.  Now that I'm with you, Sunny has another scarier reason not to do anything he shouldn't. We'll enjoy some food together and then give them some space.”

 

“Alright,” she said, brightening and pressing a little closer to him. Turning to her sister she said, “I'm famished. How about you?”

 

From there, it was Bog's turn to see Marianne comfortable in her natural environment. Marianne learned much about Bog from being around Griselda, and Bog saw much more of Marianne as she interacted with Dawn. Where Dawn was playful normally, she became even more so around Marianne, but also more affectionate. She touched and hugged Marianne so much, and it made Bog wonder just how much Marianne loved it from her sister and in general. Based on how her eyes lightened and she smiled, she lived for those moments with her sister.

 

Marianne's behavior also had subtle changes. She was less argumentative and willing to joke around more, even going so far as to let Bog and Sunny in on random inside jokes between the sisters so that they understood. 

 

“I can't always remember or explain why something was funny, but Marianne can. What about that one for us retreating, bulge and go?” asked Dawn. 

 

Both men stared at the women in confusion as the girls laughed. Finally, Marianne said, “We watched  _ Labyrinth _ one night and noticed how the goblins said retreat. I made some joke that they saw Bowie's bulge and ran away from it in fear.”

 

“Oh yeah!” cried Dawn, remembering as the men still looked at them like they were crazy.

 

The night was filled with more random jokes like that, and every time that a guy came by their table and looked at Dawn, yet another side of Marianne showed, the protective older sister who became more affectionate toward Dawn and glared at men to scare them off, assuming that Sunny or Bog didn't do it first. 

 

Dinner was amusing to Bog. The sisters ate everything put in front of them, and the men each had a drink while they enjoyed the sisters’ reactions to each new food tried. Dawn was less adventurous than Marianne, who would try just about anything if Bog dared her. All Sunny had to do was squeeze Dawn's hand and ask nicely, and she usually did to satisfy him. Both the men had been there before and enjoyed the wares when they wanted to fit in, but not tonight. Tonight was silently agreed upon that it was about the sisters and giving them a memorable experience. 

 

When the second dessert was finished, Dawn gave Marianne a peck on the cheek before pushing Sunny up and out of his seat quickly.

 

“Sunny, I'm so full! We need to dance for the rest of the nighttime for me to work this off. Let's go. See you two later!”

 

Marianne grinned proudly at her carefree sister before turning to Bog. “You did a surprisingly good job of guessing what I'd like.”

 

“I'll take that as a compliment,” he said, preening. “You're not  _ that _ hard to figure out.”

 

“Oh really,” she replied, giving him a look. “Then tell me what I want to do right now.”

 

He saw the way her fingers tapped on the table and guessed that if he looked down, he'd see her tapping her foot in time with the music. Given just how much she liked Dawn's affections, he had a good idea why she liked dancing so much. He didn't like the idea at first, but as he remembered just how much fun they were having at the end, he decided to take a chance.

 

“You want to dance,” he said, eyes fixed on her and watching for her every reaction.

 

She was surprised then impressed. Then, she was pushing him out of his seat, and he let her.

 

“I knew that was coming; it's a shared trait between you two,” he commented, taking her hand and leading her toward the band.

 

“Where are we going?” she asked curiously.

 

“To make sure we get some good dancing music. I have an idea,” he said, a twinkle in his eye. “Perhaps we can practice our fighting routine on the dance floor.”

 

Then it was her turn to drag him toward the band. “What would be a good choice?” she asked.

 

“I know a few songs, and they know me. Let me talk to them,” he said, pulling out some money and talking to the leader. 

 

After a few minutes of talk, Marianne was amused when Bog pointed a thumb at her because as soon as the leader saw her, he grinned and started talking quickly in French. Whatever he was saying, it made Bog hunch over and steal a glance at Marianne out of embarrassment before shaking his head no. He tried protesting whatever was said, but to no avail; the leader refused his money and joined the musicians. 

 

“What was  _ that  _ all about?” she asked when he came back, looking a little shame-faced.

 

“I accidentally called you my wife,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “After that, he made any number of wild assumptions and agreed to play everything for us because of new love.”

 

“He's a romantic; there's nothing wrong with that,” she said shrugging and drawing closer to him. “Besides, we have been telling many random strangers we're married; why not him?”

 

“Because he's known me a long time and knows something of my love life,” said Bog, looking at the floor. “It doesn't feel right.”

 

She took his right hand and cupped his face with her hand. “He will understand later, but for now, I'm more than happy to give him what he wants.”

 

“What are you - oof!” he cried as she pulled him down for an open-mouthed kiss. The taste of chocolate and alcohol assaulted their senses before Marianne was sliding an arm around his neck to give herself more leverage to kiss. One of his arms went to her waist, pulling her up, while his other hand found her hair and touched every spiky strand he could.

 

When they pulled apart, several people around them cheered, including Dawn and Sunny. Marianne blushed harder than ever until Bog gave a signal to the band, and they started up the music. Marianne was swept into Bog's arms, and that time, there was nothing tentative or gentle about his touch. There was only the eager touch and firm grasp of someone who knew where he belonged. One song bled into another, and soon an hour went by with them dancing before Marianne needed a water break. Sunny and Dawn were already there and had water ready.

 

“And you were ready to scold  _ me  _ about time with Sunny!” hissed Dawn, eyes bright and knowing. “What's going on between you and Boggy? I want to know  _ everything. _ ”

 

“We're pretending to be a newly married couple-”

 

Dawn barked a laugh and slapped the table. “Oh that's a good one coming from you. I can't believe you went along with it.”

 

“How else do I explain how close he is staying to me?” she asked her sister. 

 

“Obviously you say something like you're brother and sister-”

 

“But we don't  _ act  _ like siblings. Siblings don't make me feel the things he does,” said Marianne, sneaking a peek at Bog. “He's...different.”

 

“A perfect match for your brand of different, huh?” asked Dawn, taking her hands. “You two looked so happy and adorable kissing! I'm super jealous that I missed your first kiss, whenever that was. Are you happy with him?”

 

“Happier than I've been in a long time,” admitted Marianne quietly, smiling. “I don't understand.”

 

“I do. I'm so happy for you,” said Dawn before she went in for a hug. 

 

The sisters finished their waters after that and then took to dancing with each other a couple times before Sunny and Bog came to separate them. Sunny was soon pulling Dawn over to a side of the room to examine art, and Bog was ready to do a different kind of dance.

 

“I found some livelier music we can use to mask our fighting. Sunny is trying to encourage people to leave the floor with him to give us more space. Shall we?”

 

“Yes,” she agreed, taking his hand as he led her into a simple rock step and turn. 

 

When he turned around as well, both widened their stance and found the ideal distance between themselves before Bog was launching Marianne outward and she was using dance moves to come back to him to do it more. After several successful attempts, they experimented with other moves they had been discussing, each getting more into it as they did it longer. 

 

All of their pretend-dancing stopped, however, when a new song came on. Both recognized the opening of the instrumental cover of the song before their eyes met. 

 

“I love this song!” they said in unison.

 

Then they both wanted to dance. Their hands entwined, and their bodies moved perfectly in time with one another as they maintained eye contact, dancing circles around the room once more. Anyone watching would've seen that Marianne spoke first, but she was speaking far too low to be heard by anyone but Bog. His eyes were trained on her, trying to memorize her and her voice as she sang his favorite song. 

 

“You're waking meadows in my mind. Making waves across my time. Oh no, oh no...I got a strange magic.”

 

When she got to the refrain, he joined her, equally soft. “Oh, it's a strange magic. Got a strange magic.”   
  
Bog continued on alone into the third verse. “Oh, I'm never gonna be the same again. Now I've seen the way it's got to end. Sweet dreams, sweet dreams.”

  
Their voices joined again for the next refrain, and they took turns singing verses until the last refrain. Then, neither were able to do anything more than stand and hold hands as they sang, the words far more real than they ought to be. “Strange magic. Oh, what a strange magic. It's a strange magic. Got a strange magic. It's magic. It's magic. It's magic. It's magic.”

 

As the song ended, Bog took Marianne into his arms, it feeling right in that moment. As they reveled in the contact, he felt Marianne shiver.

 

“What's wrong?”

 

“I think more vampires are close by. It feels like a lot, but that doesn't seem right. I'm worried. I'm sorry.”

 

“Don't be,” he said, pulling back and taking her face. “This was far more…. And more special than I had ever expected. I trust you. I'll tell Maxine - the owner - to get people out of here.”

 

As he talked to the owner, Marianne reflected that despite their inauspicious beginning, she had managed to earn the trust of Bog. If she could do that, why couldn't she trust herself? It was silly, really, and only helping Roland. With that clearer in her mind than ever before, she could look back and see all the other times she had been right, and she knew that Bog was right about Roland. She would  _ never _ doubt herself again. 

 

After that, she looked for her sister. Sure enough, Dawn was at attention as well, hand near her weapon. 

 

“It feels like a small army approaches toward us. Why?” asked Dawn. She got worried when she saw Marianne pale. “Marianne?” 

 

Then, the lights went out.

 

“He wouldn't. He couldn't,” muttered Marianne as she grabbed her stake and blade. “Dawn, get ready. Bog!”

 

“What?” he called, near the back door with the owner. 

 

“If you want to do this your way, I suggest you get over here right now,” she said, worry in her voice. 

 

Bog was barely next to her before the lights came back on, and Roland strolled in along with his three cronies and a cluster of vampires. 

 

“Jackpot! I get to kill  _ two _ sisters tonight. How lucky am I?” asked Roland, cocky as always. “I brought my army as promised, Marianne. This is only a small sample of all those loyal to me who want to run the world as it should be. Without you in it and with human slaves. Any last words before we kill the four of you?”

 

“Yes. Prepare to die, Roland.”

 

He laughed and had to double over from laughing so hard as he waved in his reinforcements. All were instructed to kill the vampires first and restrain Dawn. Marianne was his to kill first, then Dawn. He stopped laughing when the four jumped into action. In Bog and Marianne's case, literally. 

 

Their practice and dancing paid off. With a new sense of the other, Marianne called, “Ready!”

 

Not looking back, Bog bent his knees slightly and extended his staff as his arms fanned out. After counting to three, his left hand curled in to hold Marianne's weight for one second before sending her flying at a group of three vampires. Bog went after Roland, and Sunny followed closely behind Dawn, who was screaming like a banshee and systematically slicing and staking at everyone who entered her path. It wasn't long before Sunny was separated from Dawn, but she didn't notice, too caught up in following the vampires away from Marianne and toward Roland. 

 

When Sunny realized that Dawn was being pulled away, he yelled, “Dawn! Marianne!”

 

Dawn stopped in puzzlement to see what was wrong, but it was too late. The vampire horde around her took advantage of her confusion to hit her leg, making her unable to move and easy to capture her. Marianne cried in horror as she watched. When Marianne screamed, Bog shoved Roland away long enough to see why Marianne had screamed. She wasn't in trouble, but Dawn was. He knew what he had to do: he took the biggest blade he could find on a dead vampire and stuck it through Roland, hammering it into the floor to hold the rogue vampire in place. Then, he went to save Dawn.

 

Marianne also tried to help, but she was surrounded by seven vampires. She did her best to hack and stake, but she was too worried about Dawn. She made one wrong move, and she received a gash across her forehead, her worry preventing her from concentrating. Then, she heard Bog let loose a feral growl, and she watched as he attacked the squad around Dawn with the same fierceness that he had attacked Roland to protect Marianne in Canada. Her heart squeezed just a little more at how much Bog cared, and she found the strength she needed to defeat the vampires and help Bog. As she finally escaped the last vampire, she heard Sunny's cry for help. He, too, was surrounded, and he was already injured, clutching a hand. 

 

She was torn for several seconds about what to do when Bog yelled, “Save him!”

 

That decided it; she dashed in and took out three vampires quickly, helping their odds. When they were down to two vampires left, she took stock of their situation and saw that Roland was standing in a corner watching gleefully. Bog still had a ton of vampires that he and Dawn were picking off one-by-one, but they were quickly wearing out. That was the problem: all of them were tired. Roland on the other hand looked fresh as a daisy and seemed to be waiting for them to give up. When she realized that that was his big plan before slaughtering them all, she knew they had to change their plan stat. As much as she hated retreating and giving up a fight, both Sunny and Dawn were now injured, and Bog and Marianne were both tired. Escape was the only way to survive.

 

“Bulge and go!” she cried, making her three companions do a double-take. 

 

The vampires around them stopped momentarily in confusion, and Roland started toward her, not liking that she was giving orders, even if he didn't know what it meant.

 

“I'm going to provide a distraction since I know they want me; get out of here,” hissed Marianne to Sunny. 

 

Then, she took the deepest breath she could and screamed louder than anyone had ever heard her do. Those close to her covered their ears, and Sunny ran off. Dawn was all-too-familiar with Marianne's tactics and waited for a sound after a retreat call; when she heard it, she grabbed Bog to limp toward the exit while their antagonists turned to look at Marianne. Soon, they were catching up to Sunny, Bog taking the rear for protection.

 

When Marianne saw that all three of them were running, she smiled. Roland noticed and cried out, “Don't let them escape, you idiots!”

 

Marianne took that moment to stake one vampire and escape through the line, Roland giving her chase from some distance behind. The other vampires soon came after Bog as the other two made it outside. 

 

When Marianne saw that Bog was further from the door than she was, she started toward him. He saw her, however, and waved her off. “Go, Marianne! I'll make it! You're more important.”

 

He had to stop looking at her when several attacked him. He managed to stop most of them, dislocating a shoulder in the process, but by then, they were replaced two-fold. He was stuck in the same situation as before.

 

“Hey, idiots! You're not supposed to attack one of your own kind!” yelled Marianne, swinging a heavy chair and knocking over four to get to Bog.

 

“Marianne! You're supposed to be gone!” cried Bog, looking worried as her forehead continued to bleed.

 

“She ought to, but it seems she cares for you. That just makes this sweeter when I kill you both. Shall I kill you at the same time? Would you like to hold hands while I kill you?” asked Roland in a sugary sweet tone, stopping the army from going further.

 

“I'd like to kill you,” growled Marianne. She would've tried to attack him, but Bog held her back.

 

“No can do, Buttercup. Any last words before I end this awful fix you've gotten yourselves into?” asked Roland, twirling a dagger.

 

“You first,” muttered Bog as Marianne's eyes lit up. Without alerting anyone, she pocketed her stake.

 

“Bog, close your eyes and mouth,” ordered Marianne.

 

He did as Roland laughed, “Aww, you don't want to hurt his feelings! It's so touching and sick - hey!”

 

As soon as Bog closed his eyes, Marianne pulled out the duster from Plum and sprayed the pink dust everywhere. Soon, all the vampires were coughing and complaining of burning eyes.

 

“Not the hate dust! I hate that stuff!” cried Roland as Marianne pushed a blind Bog toward the exit. When the garlic dust finally cleared, Roland yelled in anger at losing Marianne once more before taking his five remaining vampires back to his base of operations. “I'll kill you yet, Marianne!”

 

Outside, Marianne looked for Dawn until Griselda yelled, “Over here!”

 

Sure enough, Griselda was holding a door open, and inside, Sunny was feeding, and Dawn had a King family doctor seeing to her while she ate and recovered. 

 

“Mother?” asked Bog in confusion, finally opening his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Stuff and Thang called me, saying that they feared you were in trouble. They said you were in pain.”

 

“How did they know that?” asked Marianne, looking between the vampires. 

 

“Blood and venom bonds are extremely powerful; you can track and sense through them if you have a deep enough connection,” explained Griselda, pointing her son to Stuff and Thang. “Bog has had them almost since the beginning, ever since the first time he fed on them. They liked the idea of being immortal, and Bog was not discerning enough to consider that he ought to pick lifelong donors with more smarts. But, what they lack in that they make up with feeling. I've never seen two care so much.”

 

Marianne nodded and tried to take it all in but satisfied herself with sitting and letting the doctor look her over, too. All the blood loss was making her light-headed.

 

“So what happened back there?” asked Griselda, looking worriedly at Bog. “I've never seen him get injured before.”

 

“When I couldn't reach Dawn to save her, Bog stepped in,” replied Marianne, looking at him with a soft gaze. “He made sure those two got out first, and he injured himself holding back the army of vampires. I went back for him and used some hate dust from Plum.”

 

“Oh no, not that! I despise that stuff, too!” said Grisleda, turning up her nose before hugging Marianne. “Thank you so much for saving him, deary. He means the world to me.”

 

“I'm slowly learning to care for him, too,” admitted Marianne in a soft voice, so that Bog couldn't hear. “It's been one adventure after another with him, and I don't want to lose him.”

 

“You won't. He's stubborn like me,” confided Griselda. “Besides, he likes you way too much to let you go off on your own now. Even now, he can't keep his eyes off you.”

 

“Wh-what?” she asked, looking nervously at Bog and seeing that it was true. “No, he doesn't. It could never work between us. He-”

 

“I know him best. Stop trying to deny whatever you both feel,” whispered Griselda, patting her arm. “It'll all work out, I promise.”

 

Marianne had no words, so the mother vampire grinned and made her way over to her son to fuss over him.

 

“How are you feeling?” she asked, noticing that he had already taken care of his shoulder. “Better?”

 

“How is Marianne? Is she alright?” asked Bog, still checking her out with concern. “I can't tell with her.”

 

“She's fine. A few scrapes and bruises, but nothing serious, unlike you. She was telling me what you did in there for Dawn. She's also a lovely girl, by the way.”

 

“Dawn is way too happy and is devoted to Sunny. Don't even think about it,” said Bog, giving his mother a warning look.

 

Griselda shrugged and tried to look nonchalant. “I wasn't. I was just noting that Marianne has a surprisingly nice family, is all.”

 

“Mother,” warned Bog. “No. She doesn't care about me like that-”

 

“But she could! She came back for you, you lovesick idiot!” stage-whispered Griselda, jabbing her son. 

 

“She hasn't seen all of me yet. She won't,” he insisted, ashamed. 

 

“I find it funny that for the first time ever, you're not correcting me or denying that you have feelings for her. It's a nice change,” she remarked, grinning triumphantly. 

 

Bog looked down at his feet. “I might've tried to deny it before tonight, but everything changed. It all became too real.”

 

“You took her to your favorite restaurant. Did you dance with her or show her your favorite song?” she asked, wanting all the details. “I've never seen you do that before with a girl.”

 

“She's special. She deserves the best,” he said, looking at Marianne once more. “I've never danced so much, or enjoyed it. She loves that song, too.”

 

“Oh! I'm so happy for you!” squealed Griselda, crushing Bog in a hug that almost dislocated his shoulder again.

 

“Mother, easy!” he yelped.

 

“Sorry, but I'm just so excited for you!” squealed Griselda, clapping her hands. “My boy has feelings for a girl-”

 

“Don't say that so loud!” hushed Bog. “It's feelings, only that. I haven't fallen for her or anything. It could never work between us anyway-”

 

“She said that, too,” interrupted Griselda. “Think about it. Now, you ready to go home and rest? It's almost sunrise.”

 

With that, the motley crew made their way back to the King residence. Dawn and Sunny shared a room down the hall from Bog and Marianne. When Marianne exited the bathroom, Bog was sitting anxiously on the edge of his bed.

 

“Bog, I-”

 

“Mari-

 

“Mari?” she asked, standing in front of him. “Where did that come from?”

 

“I, uhmm, I just thought it sounded pretty. Like you,” stammered Bog, trying to hide the fact that he hadn't meant to say that. “So we're going back to Plumville now?”

 

She saw his resigned look and changed her mind about her plans. “I'd like that. Let's take two days to rest here and then head back,” she suggested, making to head for her bed.

 

Bog stopped her by grabbing her wrist. “Are you sure you're alright? Any other injuries? I know you act like a Tough Girl, but you don't have to be always,” he said, pulling her gently toward him. “You've got me. You can trust me, just like I trust you.”

 

They held each other's eyes for a moment, and then Marianne enveloped him in the tightest hug she had ever given him, remembering all he had done. “Thank you, Bog. After tonight, I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!


	3. They Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duty vs Desire, ie lots of conversations about feelings, some fluff, some fighting, and random vampire/goblin lore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Strange Magic or anything else I reference. This week's prompts were practical love and love from friendships, so both of those play out in big ways. I already love the friendship between Bog and Dawn, so being encouraged to do more with it makes me very happy. For the record, pretty much anyone who knows Bog and/or Marianne ships them together. I am a shameless shipper. 
> 
> Also, I really am trying to stick to the lore I know for vampires, but I've added a few things as needed there, as well as for goblins. This is another beast of a chapter because I have no chill, but hopefully it all makes sense and flows. I hope you enjoy it!

_ I say hey, I'll be gone today _

_ But I'll be back all around the way _

_ It seems like everywhere I go _

_ The more I see, the less I know _

_ But I know one thing _

_ That I love you (baby girl) _

_ I love you, I love you, I love you _

_ I've been a lot of places all around the way _

_ I've seen a lot of joy and I've seen a lot of pain _

_ But I don't want to write a love song for the world _

_ I just want to write a song about a boy and a girl _

_ Junkies on the corner always calling my name _

_ And the kids on the corner playing ghetto games _

_ When I saw you getting down, well, I hope it was you _

_ And when I look into your eyes I knew it was true. - Michael Franti _

****

The next two days spent in Paris were much needed by all.  Bog and Sunny’s wounds healed quickly as always, and they made the girls’ last days in Paris memorable.  Dawn and Marianne’s injuries were small and had time to heal, but it was more the mental preparation that they needed for what they knew was coming….normal time back at the Syndicate.

****

As Bog flew Marianne back to Plumville, she was silent.  Bog didn’t push knowing how much he liked to not be pushed to talk.  In that respect, he was just like Marianne, and he knew she would talk when she was ready.  Halfway through the flight, she started bringing up ideas for how to counteract Roland’s army, where to go next - he was pleased beyond words that she didn’t intend on staying in Plumville for long - other moves to practice together, and more.  The only things conspicuously absent from the conversation were things about Roland himself or their time in Paris. Nothing was said about them and the kisses they shared, and he was equal parts relieved and saddened. It wasn’t until they arrived at the Syndicate’s headquarters that he began to understand why she said nothing and didn’t want to tell the Syndicate what she had done.

****

Vampires flocked to him as soon as he arrived, all curious about his time with Marianne and wondering how he had managed not to kill her.  Others wondered why he would deign to carry her anywhere at all considering that she was a hunter.  _ That  _ was why he hated being around others; everyone had preconceived ideas about hunters and vampires about how they should not interact, let alone have a relationship with.  While he normally agreed with them, Marianne was an exception. All marvelled at how they had worked together to fight and escape Roland, and after some reflection, he agreed with them.  It was tremendous progress for him, and yet, it seemed so natural. 

****

Marianne had felt similarly when other paranormal groups asked her how she had managed to not kill the crusty, angry vampire. She continued to insist that she was growing as a person, even if she was trying to hide it from Dawn.

****

“Dawn, you need to act more circumspect around Bog, but especially Sunny. People will talk,” admonished her older sister in their bedroom one night soon after arriving back.

****

Dawn shook her head. “No, I don't think so. It should be the opposite, just as you should-”

****

“This is not Paris. We can't act as we like,” said Marianne, growing sad at the thought of not having anything more like she shared with Bog in Paris. “Our actions have serious consequences, and we have to consider our duty.”

****

“I know  _ exactly  _ what my duty is; it's you who don't,” insisted Dawn, getting up from her bed and standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips.

****

“Our duty is to protect the world from vampires. We have a gift; this gift has great responsibilities,” said Marianne gravely, getting up and giving her sister a pleading look to give up.

****

“I agree we have a duty in that respect, but you're still hung up on our duty to everyone else. I disagree with you,” said Dawn, giving her sister the stink eye. “You still believe that we owe our duty to some nameless group of people called society and a bunch of fusty rules that ought to be changed.”

****

“Our duty does lie there, whether we like it or not,” sighed Marianne, not any happier about it than Dawn was. “The rules exist for a reason. We can't just live for ourselves and ignore the rules, or we're no better than Roland.”

****

“We can follow our duty there when possible, but I was always taught by  _ you _ that my duty was to follow my heart - to be true to myself - and to those I care about most. Right now, the only way I can be true to myself is if I express my joy to those I care about. It's a lie otherwise. I don't care if they whisper more about me; they already do. You shouldn't care, either,” insisted Dawn, taking her sister's face in her hands. “They will always whisper about us because we're different and were raised differently.”

****

“Still, by talking as you do to Bog and Sunny, you ruin your chances in other places down the line, and you could be harming their chances to succeed in life because all will be afraid of the taint of you,” tried Marianne, hoping her sister understood. “You could be hurting them without knowing it.”

****

That was what Marianne told herself about Bog at least.  It worked for her.

****

“However true it may be, those people aren't the kind that Bog and Sunny would want to associate with,” replied Dawn, more sure than ever. “Why do you care so much?”

****

“Because I care far more for Bog than you do!” cried Marianne, finally finding the release she had been seeking since speaking to Griselda. She had had a lot more time to think, and she did have feelings, however much she shouldn't. 

****

Duty told her to forsake attachment because it made her weak and unable to see the whole picture, distracted by Bog. Duty said that she should ignore Bog altogether. Desire told her to hold onto the one person who seemed to understand and accept her as she was. At some level, she didn't want to be alone, and the more she saw Dawn with Sunny, the more she knew that her time with Dawn as it had been was ending. At another level, she yearned for that same connection that Dawn had, and she was sure that she could or did have that with Bog. Desire told her that she should do all in her power to tell him how she felt by acknowledging him in front of others and talking every day, even holding hands in public or kissing in private. Anything to tell him that she wanted him. What she chose to do in the great battle of duty versus desire was something in the middle: she acknowledged and smiled at him when she saw him. Once in a great while, she chatted with him, but nothing more. 

****

“How long have you had feelings for him?” asked a pleased Dawn. 

****

“I don't know. Something changed the moment I kissed him the first time. Then, when he admired my scars and told me they were beautiful-”

****

“He did that? I'm so proud of him!” squealed Dawn, jumping excitedly. 

****

“It amazed me; that was enough. Then there was that night when we fought together. There was something magical about that night; everything seemed to feel right and make sense,” said Marianne, looking off in the distance with a smile. 

****

“That's because you acted on your true feelings and didn't let stupid, old-fashioned rules get in your way, “ said Dawn. “Boggy likes you a lot. I can see it.”

****

“But we can't act on it, any more than you and Sunny should,” said Marianne before her face and voice took on a pleading tone. “Please know I only want the best for you. I know you hate the idea, but how would it work? It can't! You'd have to be turned, or you'll die long before he does-”

****

“We'd figure it out, and even if I was turned into a vampire, I wouldn't care,” declared Dawn. “There are good and noble vampires out there like Sunny and Bog. I would be one, too, and I'd still go out and hunt rogue vampires.”

****

Marianne's heart and stomach lurched at the thought of losing Dawn as she became a vampire. How could she trust her sister? What about the memory and legacy of her mother?

****

“It won't be the same,” said Marianne. “It could never work-”

****

“Who are you trying to convince: me or yourself? You're wasting your time on me,” said Dawn, growing angry. “I love Sunny, and he loves me. You care for Bog, probably way more than you realize or let on. You need to figure out your own problems; don't try to thrust them on me. I know what's important; you clearly don't.”

****

“Dawn, I'm just trying to look out for the better good of everyone-”

****

“No, you're more worried about yourself and how you'll be viewed by others!” cried Dawn. “What happened to the sister who beat everyone up without a care, who lived life on the edge and in the moment because nothing else was worth it if not done as your true self?”

****

All breath whooshed out of Marianne as she considered the changes in her life. So much had changed within her, and there were moments when she missed that innocence before the big change.

****

“That older sister grew up the moment someone tried to kill her and her sister. We need allies to stay alive; the Syndicate provides that,” said Marianne honestly. “We'd be lost otherwise. We were trained and found a purpose. We found people who worry about us-”

****

“We need to show them the same worry and concern!” urged Dawn, shaking her sister. “The Syndicate survived without us. It will after we die as well. We can find allies outside of it now.”

****

“It's not enough. You'll see in time,” said Marianne stubbornly, not willing to see outside of it. “I'm doing my job to protect us.”

****

“I'm not five anymore, Marianne. I can take care of myself, and I have someone else I trust as well. You don't have to anymore. Please, let me grow up and stop worrying about me,” begged Dawn with big eyes. “I'll land on my feet somehow. I always do; I learned from the best.”

****

Marianne's eyes shimmered at seeing how adult her little sister was acting. Within moments, Dawn was hugging her.

****

“I love you so much, Marianne. I always will. Even after I marry Sunny, you'll always have me. I'll put sisters before misters. I'll always choose the right thing, even when it's not popular.”

****

“When did you get so wise?” asked Marianne, starting to tear up.

****

“While you were looking at the future and not focusing on the present. I'm here, but so is Bog. He's not going away anytime soon. Focus on him now,” insisted Dawn, patting Marianne's heart. 

****

Marianne's eyes widened in fear.

****

“It's not that simple, though! We trust each other now. We have started to develop feelings for each other I think, but that's it,” insisted Marianne, not ready to admit or think about more.

****

Dawn didn't care. She just smiled and pulled away enough to take her sister's face in her hands. “You love him. You'll figure it out in time, but by then, it may be too late! You need to act now. I know something about love from Sunny. You've gotta want it bad if you want to make it work and survive in this crazy world,” she said, tapping on the amber ring that Marianne couldn't bring herself to remove.

****

“I don't feel that level of devotion or desire for him. It would be empty and meaningless,” tried Marianne, touching the ring with a smile, even as she was shushed.

****

“You're not there yet, but you will be. Start small and tell him right now that you care. Go out and get him in the halls. Tell him. Tell him that you're never gonna leave him, even after Roland is killed.”

****

“We're working together out of necessity only,” tried Marianne, even if her heart wasn't in it.

****

Dawn laughed. “Sure. Out of a necessity to kiss one another and share your mutual hate of others and stupid rules.”

****

“Dawn….”

****

“Fine! Just promise me you won't ignore him completely, alright?” begged Dawn. “He deserves that at least after all he did to save me in Paris.”

****

Marianne looked down at the ring, all too aware that she could do that. She couldn't let go as she needed to. “Okay, you win. Now, let's go to bed,” said a tired Marianne to a triumphant Dawn.

****

Marianne knew she had to come to terms with the possibility of her sister becoming a vampire, so tried to wrangle with that before unpacking all of the feelings she had for Bog.  All throughout those first few weeks at the Syndicate, Marianne avoided him publicly. In private, she would smile warmly at him in passing and stop to talk to him with ideas for what was coming later, but it was never for long.  The moment others were around, she dashed away. Dawn didn't care; she openly greeted and hugged Bog at every opportunity she got, even calling him Boggy on occasion. Marianne’s behavior baffled Bog to no end until after one interaction with Dawn.

****

“Boggy! I just got out of the coolest seminar! You should’ve seen Marianne; I’ve never seen her ask so many questions.  It was about mind control, so I guess that doesn’t surprise you much,” she said, shrugging after hugging him. “I’m sure she’ll tell you about it later.”

****

“Dawn?”

****

“Coming, Sunny! Bye, Boggy!”

****

“Bye, Dawn,” he said, giving her a one-armed side hug.  She lit up and practically floated back to Sunny.

****

Bog looked up and noticed that Marianne had seen their interaction.  She was grinning and waving, and he had never felt better. It had been awhile since she had smiled like that.  The smile disappeared, and all forward movement she had started to make toward him was stopped a moment later. Then, she was going in the opposite direction.

****

He was puzzled until he heard voices from other vampires.  “That Dawn… doesn’t she know her place? Why does she hug her enemies? It’s just not natural or right.”

****

“At least Marianne knows her place.  She won’t put us in awkward situations or ask us to ignore what we are to be nice.”

****

“Of course she does; she’s the dutiful older sister.  She knows what needs to be done. She’ll never marry; she saw what happened when they do.”

****

“Better yet, she won’t fall for a vampire, unlike her sister.   _ That _ is doomed to fail.  They’ll always be at odds with one another.”

****

Bog felt some measure of sadness for Marianne and Dawn in that moment.  Dawn didn’t seem to care about public opinion, even though he knew that she was aware of it based on conversations they shared.  She was strong in that respect; she still did what she thought was right and tried to be nice to all. She was a little ray of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy place.  Marianne, on the other hand, was a spitfire who stood up to all vampires and did the right thing, all while trying to maintain the rules. She knew the culture and lived it, playing the game.  

****

Something had seemed different about her when she had waved at him, and he couldn't figure it out at first. Then, as he replayed the moment, he realized she was still wearing his ring, that small reminder of their time together that was ignored by all since they didn't know whose it was or why she wore it. In that moment, he realized that she was biding her time when it came to him; she still smiled at him because she cared.  In fact, she cared enough not to make him look even more odd or unwelcome by engaging him openly. Dawn was already an oddity, so she was ignored. Marianne, however, was known to never associate with any vampire, leaving Dawn to talk to Sunny and anyone else needed. Duty ruled Marianne’s life, just as it did Bog’s. The problem was that he was tired of doing so. He had started doing his own thing by degrees, and now he felt even more willing to say screw the rules.  In that moment, all he wanted was to show Marianne that she didn’t have to follow the rules if she didn’t want to. She had already done it plenty since meeting him; why stop now?

****

He just didn’t know how to tell her that.  Words seemed to fail him every time he talked to her, and the longer they stayed in Plumville, the more distant she became, even if she continued to wear the ring.  His feelings in the meantime only grew, as absence really did make the heart grow fonder. She was a breath of fresh air that he hadn’t realized he needed. 

****

They were at a general council meeting discussing the Roland situation when Bog finally found an opportunity.  

****

“Roland has amassed an army; I’m not sure how long he’s had an army, but I’m betting it started after my mother was killed and before he met me,” said Marianne to many gasps and whispers.  “He spoke of ruling over everyone even when he first tried to kill me, which makes me believe upon further review that he was recruiting while there was no one to stop him.”

****

“How many of his followers did you remove in Paris? How did he find you?” 

****

Marianne’s look dimmed at the second question, and Bog wondered how long that question had been bothering Marianne.  She answered, “We removed at least a dozen, but there are still many more by my guess. Roland just let them all be killed willy-nilly.”

****

“I’m surprised more bystanders weren’t killed,” remarked Plum from her seat at the front.

****

“Marianne and I sensed that vampires were coming, so the building was cleared. We stayed, thinking we could take them all.  Clearly, we were wrong,” said Dawn, standing beside her sister proudly. “We all fought valiantly.”

****

“Especially Marianne,” said Bog, standing up before she could say something or stop him.  “She risked her life to save both Sunny and myself. Sunny was easier, but she came back for me specifically, even after I told her to leave.  She has earned my gratitude and respect for doing the right thing, even if it’s not culturally normal or acceptable.”

****

Marianne blushed as the whole crowd murmured.  Bog had never spoken a word of either respect or gratitude for someone from the Syndicate, nor had he ever stayed that long in Plumville.  Everyone had wondered why, even if all were afraid to ask why.

****

“As for how to defeat Roland, I believe the key is killing him.  His army seems untrained and undisciplined, easily distracted and needing constant words from him to do anything.  If he falls, then I suspect that they’ll all become docile or change their ways. None seemed particularly militant, but perhaps seeing more of the army will change my mind,” he said, giving his opinion on the matter.  “Because of that, I see no point in trying to kill an unnecessary amount of fellow vampires. We ought to focus on Roland alone. Since Marianne is Roland’s focus, I move for her to be removed to a remote place of her choosing.  Her sister ought to be further away, to prevent easy access to both sisters at once. We can’t allow Paris’s situation to occur again.”

****

After some bickering and much grateful muttering about not wanting to work with Marianne, Bog’s motion was approved.  Marianne tried to speak again, but Bog butted in once more, determined to prove his worth. “Also, as a sign of my willingness to begin mending the past, I will accompany Marianne to whatever place she chooses.  She ought to have one or two vampires with her, ones she trusts. Since I trust her, I want to go.”

****

Bog had never heard so much talking at once in a meeting, but he didn’t care.  To hell with their stupid rules about vampires and hunters: Marianne was more important.  At that moment, it was all worth it to see the awed look on her face. Dawn was grinning as well, and he tried to ignore how smug she seemed.  Marianne was also ignoring her. When Marianne recovered from her shock, she went to stand beside Bog at once, taking his hand as a sign of acceptance and glad that she had an ally, even if it wasn’t from the Syndicate.  

****

“I would prefer only Bog.  I trust no one else,” she said, taking a step closer to him before glancing up.  Her eyes were hesitant despite her firm tone, but one look at him calmed her at once.  It wasn’t often she found such acceptance, but she saw it shining in Bog’s eyes, despite her tendency to avoid him.  Her heart soared just a little, and she was more willing to give credence to Dawn’s earlier words about Bog and trusting him over anyone else.       

****

With that, the council was adjourned, and Marianne dragged Bog by his wrist out of there as fast as she could, not wanting to hear anymore of the conversation that would ensue. She let go when they were in the hallway.

****

“Bog, why did you say all that back there? I’m honored, but-”

****

“But nothing.  It was the right thing to do,” he said.  “I am grateful, and I don’t give two hoots in Hades what other vampires say about me.  Never have, and never will. You’re young, so you still care, but I don’t. You’ll learn with time not to.”

****

“Rules ought to be followed, though!” she cried, pulling him into another room and closing the door behind them. Then, she turned to face him once more, he dangerously close in that moment. Eyes fixed on his, she said quietly, “The rules are in place for a reason.  If we’re going to be leaders, then we need to abide by them.”

****

“There’s a time and place for following the rules; that time is  _ not _ right now,” he said in an equally quiet voice, leaning in until their noses almost touched. Marianne's heart beat ten times faster when he grinned and placed his hands on either side of her face and said with authority, “The rules say we shouldn’t work together at all.  You broke the rules when you asked me to join you, and you agreed to play by my directions despite having the ruling body on your side that you could’ve exerted more to get your way. Frankly, you’re  _ terrible  _ at following the rules, and that’s why I like you so much.  You’re different, like me.”

****

“I-”

****

She had been about to say something, but she lost her train of thought at the end of his speech.  “You like me?” she asked, her voice small.

****

“Yes, very much. Far more than I should, but I don't care,” he said in her ear, making her shiver as one hand slid lower to her shoulder level. “Why try to follow the rules when they clearly don’t work? We can set new norms instead, ones that work and create more harmony and less antagonism among factions.”

****

“I’d like that very much,” she said, ever the idealist as she took his lower hand.  “I’ll go into that council chamber to talk to them, to make it so that at long last we’re not scared anymore of each other.   I’ll force every group that has a problem with another to sit in a room and talk. If we could just have open, frank conversation and be open to the other side, we could accomplish so much.  Everyone is so set in their ways, and I’m trying to learn it. The problem is that it all doesn’t make sense.”

****

“It never will since you don’t have a long memory or a tendency to hold a grudge like others.  You just bash people up, and that gets it out of your system,” he said in a matter-of-fact way.  “I’m not like that at all.”

****

“I’d say I hold a pretty big grudge against Roland-”

****

“But do you want to kill every vampire as a result?” he asked, giving her a knowing look.

****

“No.  I just want to understand,” she said, going to sit.

****

“That’s why you’re different.  We need more like you,” he said, sitting beside her and taking her hand again.  “However, before we can do that, we have to kill Roland. Do you know where you want to go next?”

****

“No.  Give me a couple days, and I’ll figure it out,” she said, smiling at him.  “I just can’t get over the faces of everyone in there when you spoke about me.  They were so scandalized.”

****

“It felt  _ amazing _ ,” he said, making her laugh.  “I couldn’t think of a better way to tell you to screw them.”

****

“It felt so  _ wrong  _ not to talk to you for the past few weeks.  I wanted to, but I wasn’t sure you wanted it since the attack had failed.  Duty and desire are often at odds, and I haven’t figured out that balance yet,” she said, looking contrite.

****

“You will,” he said, giving her an understanding look.  “However, there is something else on your mind.”

****

She looked away, her shoulders bunching together as she tried not to talk about it. 

****

“Marianne, it’s alright,” he said, patting her hand.  “I’m not going to think less of you because you failed.  You’re only human. I’m ancient, and I still make mistakes.” 

****

“But you’re not the one who Roland manages to find every single time!” squawked Marianne, getting up and pacing.  “I’ve racked my brain about it for weeks now, and I can’t figure it out. He’s always been able to find me, even when we dated.  He was always close, saying he felt a need to protect me. Once he revealed himself, he was popping up every week or two, trying to kill me.  He’s consistent. The only time he hasn’t has been when I’m staying in Syndicate headquarters or when I was staying at your home in Paris.”

****

“Are you trying to imply that he’s aware of your exact location?” he asked, an idea starting to form as he tried to make practical sense of how it could happen.

****

“Yes, I guess so,” she said, fingering the dagger at her side.  “He didn’t come out to me until we had been away from your home for an extended period of time, or whenever I was away from headquarters for more than a few hours, or farther away.  He  _ has  _ to know, somehow.”

****

Bog watched Marianne pace and twirl her dagger until he noticed the purple gem on the dagger.  Then, everything made sense.

****

“How long have you had that dagger?” he asked, reaching for it.

****

“I received it one week after I met Roland.  He got it for me since he knew I liked daggers and purple. It’s the only gift of his I kept,” she said, grimacing and handing it to him.  “This one’s actually useful.”

****

“He did that on purpose,” he said, turning the dagger upside down as he watched the liquid inside the gem move slowly. “He knew you’d like it and carry it on you always.  This is his secret.”

****

“But how?” she asked, rushing to his side to examine the dagger. “How could this do it?”

****

“Remember what my mother said about blood and venom bonds? I believe this is some of Roland’s venom, undiluted and colored.  He can find it anywhere since it’s undiluted.”

****

“Why the shallow, power-hungy, chattering, lying pig, son of a-”

****

“Whoa!” he cried, unprepared for Marianne’s ire. “This is just a theory, of course, but it’s the only one that makes logical sense.  Let’s test it.”

****

“How?” she asked, moving away to calm down.

****

“We’ll lock this up inside headquarters and leave it here for a month.  If he doesn’t find you wherever we go, then we know that it’s the dagger.  At that point, we’ll destroy it, and then he’ll come running when it is destroyed.  We’ll be ready for him,” he said, getting excited. 

****

“Great. There's a safe we can use. Let's go put it in there right now, and then we'll figure out a location.”

****

As they walked to put the dagger away, Marianne was amazed at all the looks she received. She had figured it would happen when the full truth of Paris came out, but she was surprisingly calm about it. She had thought she'd care more, but Dawn was right: following her heart in this instance was the right thing to do. They didn’t care about her, and she felt at peace beside Bog. He was the one who had the idea who gave her hope of freeing her from Roland once and for all. He was the one who put her sister and her first when he didn't have to. To stand beside him now felt right.

****

“This is an odd thing to lock away,” commented Plum when they arrived. “I thought you loved this, Marianne.”

****

“I did until Bog told me what he suspects it actually is. Lock it away until I come back for it,” requested Marianne as Plum did as asked. 

****

“Done. Good luck, you two. I was so proud of you up there,” said Plum, grinning mischievously. “It's about time the old rules and ways were updated.”

****

“I've had ideas-”

****

“Totally getting rid of everything is  _ not  _ the answer,” barked Plum at him before smiling again sweetly at Marianne. “Sometimes rules just need to be changed. Just remember that going forward.”

****

Both looked at her and tried to discern what she was getting at. However, when no further clarification came, the two left. The next day after much soul-searching, Marianne found Bog, who had been noticeably absent after talking to Plum. She found him in the library, reading ancient texts.

****

“Bog, I need your help,” she said, standing at the door. 

****

He was up in a moment, book forgotten and wrapped packages picked up as he made his way to her. “What is it?”

****

She gestured for him to follow her to somewhere more private, so they went to the fairy garden set up at the back of the building. Under the night sky and the billowing willow tree branches, she told him her plan.

****

“Everyone thinks that I'm going to pick the next location to go; what if one of the councilmen is actually a spy for Roland?”

****

Bog's mouth dropped as he considered the possibility. Marianne continued, undaunted. 

****

“I'd feel more comfortable if you chose a spot, to keep them guessing and throw any possible spies off our scent. Is there anywhere you need to go?”

****

When he closed his mouth, Bog thought for a moment and nodded. “As a matter of fact, there's a place an hour or two from here where I'm needed. You'd be safe and welcome there.”

****

“How do you know?” she asked, placing a hand on his chest and searching his eyes worriedly. “Your mother is special.”

****

“If I'm in charge of it, then they do as I decree. I say you're safe and treated like a queen,” he replied, smiling and taking her right hand, rubbing the amber ring she still wore. 

****

She blushed as he reminded her of her little indulgence. “Sorry, I should've given this back to you before. I can now-”

****

“Please don't,” he requested, his palm resting on top of the ring. “It works better in this instance.”

****

“Why?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

****

“As it so happens, I need to spend some time with the settlement of goblins where I'm from. They're located in the Everglades. Since I'm descended from royalty and the oldest goblin, I'm their de facto leader. I'm needed for land disputes and other things like that,” he explained. “It's a beautiful area; I think you'd like it there-”

****

“We can leave tomorrow,” said Marianne, ready to go at once and trying to stand. “I haven't spent much time in the outdoors since leaving home. It'd be a welcome change, especially if I can learn more about your goblin side. Let's go inside and start packing-”

****

“Easy, Tough Girl,” he said, taking hold of her as she started to head inside. “Just a moment more. We'll have Stuff and Thang go ahead of us to announce that we're together. You'll be under my protection; that ring will ensure it.”

****

“Are you sure they won't assume we're married?” she asked, giving him an unsure look. “It's pretty universal.”

****

“There are worse things they could assume; it's a risk I'll take. I doubt they’ll notice or care.  It's easy enough to explain,” he said, not worried as he motioned for her to sit. “Besides, there's actually more I'd like to give you in that respect that’s more….suggestive.”

****

“What do you mean?” she asked, sitting expectantly. 

****

He sat beside her and handed her the first of two small gifts. She unwrapped it and found a simple, silver chain with an amber pendant encased in silver. She looked up at him with confusion.

****

“Unlike Roland, I want to be open and honest with you. I made that pendant for you in the hope that you would hold onto it, even if you won't wear it. I'd like to continue to protect you, so there's some of my venom there. If you disappeared, I'd feel-”

****

“Would you help me put it on?” she asked, smiling warmly and turning to give him access to the back of her neck.

****

He sighed in relief and took the necklace. The way she presented her neck to him tempted him in a way few ever had. He never felt that strong compulsion to feed or mark to claim, but he wanted to with her. She was trusting him so much in that moment, and her trust helped him ignore his baser instincts. When the necklace was securely around her neck, she turned to show it off. 

****

“Well? How does it look?” she asked, grinning. 

****

“Perfect. I never thought you'd actually wear it, honestly,” he admitted, looking away. “Goes well with your eyes, too.”

****

“Thank you for this,” she said, fingering the pendant. “I trust you. Does this also mark me as under your protection?”

****

“Yes,” he answered, remembering goblin tradition. “Gifts of handmade necklaces are much more common ways of claiming mates. Everyone knows what the amber stands for, kingship.”

****

She bit her lip as her eyes shined. “Very well. I'll try not to read too much into the mate aspect,” she commented, making him embarrassed. Internally, she was very curious about goblins and their mating rituals.  There weren’t many who did from her understanding.

****

“I've never wanted to make a necklace before. It was the first thing that came to mind for you; it seemed perfect. Griselda still wears hers; her mate was part goblin,” he said, hoping that helped things. 

****

She nodded, smiling. “Thank you. I'll treasure it always.”

****

“Hopefully this, too,” he added quickly as he handed her the second gift. 

****

This one was much bigger, and Marianne eagerly tore the paper and removed the box's lid to find a new dagger. 

****

As she picked it up and inspected it, Bog added, “Since you have to lose your other one, I went to my settlement and spoke with the main weapons maker there. He made this specifically for you based on what I requested.”

****

“How did you manage to make the hilt such a perfect size for my hand? It's so light and yet perfectly balanced,” she mused, admiring the weapon. 

****

Bog was glad he couldn’t blush.  He knew he would be if he admitted that he knew the exact size of her hand from holding hands while dancing; where her hand touched his was imprinted upon him in a way no one else could.

****

“There's one feature in particular that I think you'll appreciate,” he said, pulling the leather hilt away from the blade to reveal a wooden stake on the opposite end, underneath the leather. “In a pinch, you can immobilize and kill with this.”

****

“That's incredible! Thank you,” she said, sheathing the stake and engulfing him in a hug. “I couldn't ask for anything more perfect. You really do understand me better than anyone else.”

****

He smiled shyly, the praise taking root deep within him and making him fall just a little more for her. Few would appreciate that as a gift, but she did, just as he would.

****

“You're welcome,” he said, pleased. “Shall we go inside and start preparations?”

****

“Yes. I'll tell Dawn so she knows just in case. She's going to be hunting with Sunny a little then going to visit the elves that Sunny grew up with.” 

****

“I take it she's determined to make things work with Sunny?” he asked as they headed in.

****

“Yes. I've never seen her so sure of anything before. I'm so proud of her, even if I'm worried sick for her,” she confided. “Sunny has proven himself time and again, so I have no room to complain about him.”

****

“Other than him being a vampire, of course,” replied Bog.

****

“She knows how I feel about that,” she said, looking ahead.

****

“How do you feel about it?” he queried, curious. He tried to tell himself it was only because it was Dawn, not because of him.

****

“That there are too many logistics to figure out, and I fear she'll be turned eventually. It's weird to imagine welcoming one after another killed our mother,” she said, making him uneasy. “It feels like a betrayal when it probably shouldn't.”

****

“Some things in life take getting used to. I think you'll learn in time since it's Dawn,” he said, squeezing her hand. “Sometimes we have to get over our own aversions and fears to appreciate what we have and love.  Some things are more important.”

****

“You're right,” she said, smiling weakly, still not liking the prospect, even if it was true.

****

The next day, the two left a few hours after Stuff and Thang did. Marianne drove a large van after much discussion, and Bog gave directions from the roomy passenger seat. The rented van was dropped off, and they ventured into the Everglades, going deep into the woods and swampland to find where all the goblins were. Bog took to sliding an arm around her now that they were alone, and she let him without hesitation. He also found her a walking stick to deal with all the soft ground around them, and she learned why he always carried a cane.

****

All the goblins stood at attention and were waiting eagerly when they arrived. 

****

“Welcome home!” cried Thang, waving and rushing to greet the two first. To Bog he asked, “How was the drive?” To Marianne, he asked curiously, “What do you think of our home?”

****

“It's lovely,” she said, looking around. “It brings back fond memories of my childhood in the forests near the Blue Ridge Mountains.”

****

“”That's not too far from here,” remarked Stuff as she drew near. “It would be easy to make a day trip there if you desired.”

****

“I would like that, but we'll see,” said Marianne, looking at Bog.

****

“Whatever the Queen wishes,” said another goblin close by.

****

“What?” asked Marianne and Bog in unison, even as Marianne gave Bog an “I-told-you-so” look.

****

“They informed us that you were together previously. You're wearing the family ring and a necklace. Isn't that what it means? We've been preparing celebrations ever since he came here to make the necklace.”

****

Bog looked shame-faced as he noticed the extra red streamers, decorations, and hearts strewn throughout the main area while Marianne tried not to laugh. 

****

Instead she explained, “In this instance, no. I'm simply under his protection since I'm actually a vampire hunter in need of a safe place to stay. Bog has been very kind and agreed to help me.”

****

“Our apologies then,” said the goblin. “We'll take them down immediately.”

****

“There's no need on my account. Bog?” she asked, deferring to him. 

****

“They can stay up this once.  I'm glad all of you are here in any case. This is Marianne, the one you've no doubt heard much of from the resident gossip-”

****

“Am not,” pouted Thang, crossing his arms. In an undertone he muttered, “If you saw them in Paris like I did, you'd think the same thing, too! Dawn said they kissed...twice!”

****

“You totally are, but I love you for it,” said Stuff, squeezing his hand in response.

****

“In any case, Marianne will be staying with us for some time. I expect her to feel welcome and treated like one of us,” he commanded before leading her to where he lived.

****

“She's staying in his quarters….again!” whispered Thang to a group when the two were gone. “They were doing it before. He said they were just acting, but that wasn't acting toward the end. He always said that if he could find another woman who would take his hand and look him in the eye-”

****

“Without running away screaming and he did not want to hit her as she did so, then he would consider her, yes,” interrupted Stuff, trying to quiet him. 

****

“He stares at her constantly, as does she. He was holding her hand multiple times, even here.  He’s very affectionate with her; they’ve kissed twice! He loves her; he made her a necklace!”

****

“T _ his _ is why BK doesn't let us do more work or missions with him,” complained Stuff before dragging her husband away from a convinced crowd. 

****

The next week was relatively peaceful as far as weeks went. Bog sat on his throne and settled land disputes and disagreements about the ownership of chickens while Marianne sat in a specially-made throne beside Bog. The throne was supposed to have been a wedding present from artisans since it had purple painted on it. She loved it, and her gratitude and sincere interest in goblin culture won over the hearts of the goblins quickly. Granted, the majority of goblins credited her with the significant increase of smiles and the good mood of their King, and anyone who could make Bog happy was welcome. He had been sad, angry, or alone for long enough. 

****

At the end of the first week, Bog was called away for a moment to see about approving a new law, and Marianne was sitting and waiting patiently for him to come back to get on with their court activities for the day. After he was gone for a half hour, the two goblins waiting suddenly approached her.

****

“You are wise and trusted by the King. You're also a woman. Perhaps you can help us in our current situation,” suggested one goblin. “I asked permission from another to marry his daughter, and he agreed since I'm well-off.”

****

“However, he also gave me permission as well, even if I'm not as good a candidate in that respect. How do we determine who she marries?”

****

“What does goblin law say exactly on the topic of marriage?” she asked, knowing little.

****

“As long as the parent gives approval, then the bride may marry who she wishes,” said Thang helpfully. 

****

“Thank you, Thang. I'm sure you both love her; have you asked her yet?”

****

“Well… no,” said both. “We can't both propose; it's simply not done! One proposes, and she accepts.”

****

“The lady ought to have just as much a say as you,” she replied. “If she doesn't mind less money or viability because of love, then let it happen. Would you like it if you were not given a choice in marriage?”

****

“Well….no,” both said again, starting to understand. “Choice is good!”

****

“Then both of you go ahead and propose; let her make her mind up for herself,” suggested Marianne kindly. 

****

“Thank you!” 

****

As they left, Bog laid a hand on her shoulder. “You did well, Marianne. You'd make an excellent ruler.”

****

“Thank you. I enjoyed doing it,” she admitted, blushing slightly. “So? Do we have a new law?”

****

“Yes. Ready to eat lunch?” he asked.

****

“Let's.”

****

“News from the mushrooms, Sire,” said Thang, rushing into the room. “Apple on womb encroaches.”

****

“What the devil are you trying to say?” asked Bog until he heard another faint noise in the distance. 

****

Marianne heard the singing from the window, too, and she smiled, recognizing it at once. 

****

“Sugar pie honey bunch, you know that I love you! I can't help myself. I love you and nobody else.”

****

“Is that-”

****

“Dawn? Yes. I'm not sure why she's here, but I'm happy,” replied Marianne going to the door outside. Then, she called out to her sister, “When I call your name, girl, you better run-”

****

“Marianne! I finally found you!” cried Dawn as she ran into her sister's arms. “I figured you'd be deep in here from Sunny's description but wow!”

****

“What happened? Why are you here?” asked her older sister worriedly.

****

“I'll explain at lunch. Are you eating soon by chance? I'm famished.”

****

“We are,” said Bog, smiling slightly and coming forward.

****

“Boggy!” cried Dawn, rushing to hug him. “I've missed you.”

****

“Welcome to my domain. You're safe here,” he said before adding quietly, “I've missed you, too.”

****

Dawn squealed and tried to hug the life out of him until Marianne saved Bog. “Ok, let's go eat. I'm going to clean my hands. See you in there shortly.”

****

When Marianne was gone, Dawn immediately turned to Bog. “Why are all vampires so stupid?”

****

“I beg your pardon?” asked Bog, stopping to glare at her imperiously.

****

“Well, right now you're all acting like idiots, and I'm tired of it. You are bad enough-”

****

“Excuse me?” he asked, now baffled how she managed to smile while delivering such information. 

****

“I thought Sunny had escaped that curse, but now he's talking like Marianne about duty and how we shouldn't be together. Can you believe that he was quoting  _ song lyrics _ at me, telling me to go away and that he wasn't good enough for me? I tell you, he's an idiot. A loveable idiot, but mine all the same,” said Dawn calmly, continuing to walk like it was no big deal.

****

“Did he hurt you?” asked Bog, trying to keep up with her and understand why exactly she was there. “Do you need to hug it out or something with Marianne?”

****

He was not a touchy-feely guy like that.  He’d do it for Marianne, but he liked to keep that quiet.  As he cringed at the thought of sharing lots of feelings, she waved a hand, seemingly not concerned.

****

“No, nothing like that. I just need to blow off steam. Usually I tell Marianne all this, but since you're basically family at this point and are acting like a fool, too-”

****

“How am I a fool?” he demanded in frustration, taking hold of her shoulders and staring into her eyes. He wasn't able to be mad at her; she meant well and did seem to care about him since she considered him family.  All the same, what did Sunny's behavior have to do with him?

****

“Because you won't tell Marianne how you feel about her, you big dummy,” said Dawn, slapping her palm against his forehead, not the slightest bit afraid. “Why haven't you told her? It's obvious!”

****

He pulled back at once, embarrassed. Stammering, he said, “H-how is it...obvious to you when it- it's not even obvious to me how much I like her? I told her I liked her; isn’t that enough?”

****

Dawn shook her head and rolled her eyes before linking arms with him. 

****

“No. Marianne told me you gave her a necklace. That's the most obvious thing in the world. You keep saying it's only for her protection, but I know better. She won't believe it's more until you tell her. Don't be afraid, Boggy. She likes you a lot, too!”

****

He froze, unwilling to believe it. “How did we get on the topic of Marianne and myself-”

****

“Because Sunny is being an idiot like you. He will tell me his feelings, but he won't act on them. He's getting cold feet, so I'm letting him have some time by himself to see what it's like without me. He'll come to his senses, and then all will be well,” chirped Dawn, very pleased with her plan.

****

“So that's why you're here? You don't seem all that upset,” said Marianne, joining them at last. “Are you hurt?”

****

“A little that he's changing his mind now, but he still loves me. I know that, and that's what matters most,” said Dawn as she sat down to eat.

****

Bog pulled out the chair for Marianne after doing so for Dawn. Marianne gave him the same look she gave him every time he did so. He just shrugged, old habits refusing to die. Dawn babbled more throughout lunch, and both let her since she seemed to need it. She was worried, far more than she would let on in front of Bog, so she just kept on rattling off information about the vampires she had found and how Sunny was. When lunch was done, Marianne held her sister close; that was when Dawn finally broke down crying. 

****

As Marianne was leading her into a private room, Bog stopped them briefly to give Dawn a consoling hand on her back before whispering to her, “He  _ is  _ an idiot if he doesn't love you. Just tell me, and I'll kill him.”

****

“Bog!” cried Marianne, even as Dawn giggled through her tears and turned to hug Bog again.

****

“Thank you, Boggy! It's not necessary, though.”

****

“We'd take great pleasure in staking him together, just so you know,” added Marianne once she saw Dawn smiling. 

****

“I know, Marianne. Can we go somewhere else now, please?”

****

“Sure, I'll show you the bedroom. You're going to be jealous,” said the older sister, keeping an arm around the younger one. 

****

Bog didn't see them again until dinner, and by then, Dawn was smiling brightly, seeming as happy as before. She was still staying for a few days, and she had picked out a guest room for herself with help from her sister. Stuff and Thang had enjoyed setting everything up as Dawn liked it, eager to make her happy.

****

After dinner, Bog went to Marianne's side as Dawn skipped ahead, excited to go to a goblin festival that night.

****

“How is she?” he asked, still concerned. 

****

“Sunny asking her to leave him really shook her. She's so ready to dive in and give herself to him, and he finally realized it. I'm proud of him, even if I hate him for hurting her like that,” said Marianne, shaking her head.

****

“Do you trust him more now?” he asked curiously. 

****

“Yes. This is his last chance to do so from what I can see. She loves him so much, and they're so close. I knew they were close, but not until Paris did I realize how far it had evolved under my watch. She's mad at him, but she's ready to forgive him. He better come here if he knows what's good for him.”

****

“He will,” said Bog, getting an idea. “He will.”

****

For the next three days, Dawn attended the goblin festival, and her spirits improved greatly. When he couldn't spend time with Dawn, Bog ordered Stuff and Thang to show her around and make her feel at home with Marianne. He didn't spend as much time with Marianne in consequence, but he ignored the feeling of loss caused by her not sitting beside him. She was needed elsewhere. 

****

Once he was sure that Dawn was recovered, he sent Stuff and Thang on a search for Sunny, to see if he was looking for Dawn. Sure enough, Sunny had begun to panic when he didn't find her in Plumville or her normal haunts. He came eagerly when informed where she was. The three were eating and discussing what they had liked most about the festival when Sunny was announced.

****

“Your guest has arrived, Sire.”

****

“You have guests, Boggy?” asked Dawn excitedly, looking at Marianne as though to tell her that she ought to pay attention to that. Marianne shrugged, not realizing a guest was expected.

****

“Dawn? Is that you? Are you really here?” came a worried voice from the hallway outside the dining area.

****

“Sunny?” asked Dawn, rushing from the table at the sound of his voice. “Sunny!”

****

For several moments, all was quiet as Dawn and Sunny embraced in the doorway, kissing and greeting each other in between Sunny asking for forgiveness. 

****

“You're forgiven. Don't ever scare me like that again,” remonstrated Dawn, just glad to have him back. “How did you find me?”

****

“I ran into Stuff and Thang in my village, and they mentioned that they had seen you here-”

****

“Boggy, why were your donors far away from you?” asked Dawn, turning to face Bog momentarily.

****

“If I was in Sunny's situation with Marianne, I'd be destroying everything in my path to find her while hating myself. I didn't want Sunny to have to suffer longer than necessary since you seemed better,” he replied, looking down at his plate before meeting Dawn's eyes. “I also thought you'd like to see him again.”

****

“I do. Thank you, Boggy,” she said, dragging Sunny with her to hug Bog. Bog was supremely awkward about the whole situation, and when he saw that Marianne intended to smile and let it all happen, he allowed it. He just wanted to see Dawn and Marianne happy, and now they were.

****

“Want to stay for a day, Sunny? It's so great here,” enthused Dawn as the four sat down to eat again.

****

“Sure. Then we can go to my village after,” he said, looking at Marianne and Bog for permission. Both nodded, putting him at ease.

****

Dinner was a louder affair than normal after that, but Bog didn't care. He took Sunny on a hunting trip that night, and while the men were out feeding, Dawn and Marianne chatted. 

****

“I can't believe Boggy did that for me!” squealed Dawn once the door was closed and both sisters were seated on Dawn's bed. “Did you know?”

****

“No, I didn't. It was a good surprise for me as well. He never even asked if he should do it.  It was sweet of him,” said the brunette, smiling and pleased about the situation. 

****

“It was. He acts all grumpy, but he's really just a burnt marshmallow, crusty and cold on the outside and warm and mushy on the inside,” declared Dawn, leaning back and grabbing a pillow to hold in her lap. 

****

“That's….surprisingly accurate for him,” replied Marianne, nodding and leaning against the cushioned headboard. Dawn moved the pillow to Marianne's lap and lay against her, snuggling. 

****

“He wasn't looking at me, though, for very long. He seemed far more interested in you,” said Dawn, trying to act nonchalant. 

****

“Dawn….”

****

She gave up her innocent act since her older sister was glaring at her. She booped her sister's nose to try to calm her down. 

****

“It's true, though! He treats me like a little sister, and he stares at you like he's going to lose you, like he loves you. The sooner you realize that, the better.”

****

“It doesn't feel right. He's given me so much, and I don't want it to be misplaced gratitude-”

****

“So give him something! There must be  _ something _ that you could make him out here in the forest. We used to make things for Dad and each other all the time. Hmm, what could you do?”

****

“I got it! What about a boutonniere?” asked Marianne, remembering the old family tradition. 

****

“Perfect! He made you a necklace; you make him that. It'll be so sweet! Will you do it tomorrow?”

****

“No, I'm going to do it after you leave, probably the day after tomorrow. I don't want to give you more fuel for your hopes for us,” said Marianne, wanting it to be a private moment. “It's just something small between friends.”

****

“Friends that kiss passionately, sure,” replied Dawn, rolling her eyes. “You just want to find a dark corner and smother him in kisses - hey!”

****

At that point, the two broke into an intense pillow fight as Dawn continued to make up even wilder things that Marianne wanted to do with Bog. The fight didn't stop until they ran out of pillows and feathers to throw at one another, both rolling on the floor laughing. 

****

“But seriously, Marianne, he cares about you. You need to figure out how you feel about him and fast,” said Dawn, glancing at her exhausted sister. “He's falling for you harder every day, and everyone here loves you. Everyone asks me what you like so they can make you happy. They all want you to stay.”

****

“Really?” asked Marianne, shocked. “They do that?”

****

“Yes. Goblins just appear out of nowhere, asking if you plan to stay a long time. They all like you. Almost as much as he does,” said Dawn seriously, turning to her side to face her sister.

****

“That is... unexpected,” replied Marianne, growing thoughtful. “I like them, too, but Bog…. I don't know how I feel about him. I've tried to ignore it for so long-”

****

“Ugh, why do you do that? Feelings are normal.  It's okay to trust and love again. You love me; why is Bog different?”

****

“It's much more complicated than that,” said an indignant Marianne. 

****

“You're letting me do it; you can, too,” insisted her younger sister.

****

Marianne couldn't argue with that logic. Dawn was happy and would make it work. If anyone could, she would.  “If I was more sure of my feelings-”

****

“Then figure it out, silly! Sheesh.”

****

Dawn yawned loudly, and Marianne helped her up. “Fine, Dawn, I'll think about it. Things have progressed more than I expected between Plum’s words, the unwilling council, and my time with Bog. My previous reasons just seem so… insignificant now. Why should I care?”

****

“Yes, exactly! Finally!” sighed Dawn, hugging her sister. 

****

When Bog saw Dawn the next day, she was grinning and glowing brighter than ever. When it was time for her to leave with Sunny, the sisters hugged first. 

****

Then, she skipped over to Bog. “Boggy, thank you for everything while I've been here. I feel like you're the brother I always wanted. Just promise me you'll take good care of Marianne, right?”

****

“Wh-what?” he asked, not prepared for that final question. “Of course. As long as she's with me, she's safe. I want her to be happy.”

****

“Good. If not, I'd have to threaten to kill you,” said Dawn, smiling brightly. “I love my sister very much.”

****

Bog pulled the collar of his shirt away from his neck as he realized just what Dawn was implying. He felt warm and guilty, and he had no idea how to respond. Thankfully, Dawn just continued to smile and hugged him. 

****

“Bye, Bog!”

****

“Boggy!” he corrected as she went back to Sunny.  Marianne appeared beside him, nudging his elbow with hers. “Sometimes I wonder about your sister.”

****

“Join the club,” snorted Marianne, leaning against his shoulder briefly. “Good thing she's the nicest person in the world.”

****

“Even when she threatens your life,” muttered Bog, making Marianne laugh. 

****

“Also true. So, I wanted to go wandering in the forest tomorrow while you're dealing with your squabbling groups. I'll meet you at lunch afterwards?” she asked, slightly nervous.

****

“Sure. Need a guide?” he asked, not worried about her doing so after showing her the woods previously. 

****

“No, I'm good. There are just certain places I want to go back to,” she said, telling a half-truth.

****

Bog nodded and didn't regret the decision until he was sitting in front of said squabbling parties and wanting someone else to commiserate with. When it was lunch time, he waited patiently for her, but she didn't come back. He waited until the end of lunch to start panicking, as she was fond of food and good at keeping her word. He started pacing an hour after lunch ended, and within fifteen minutes of that, Stuff and Thang were standing frightened in the doorway, all other goblins afraid to go near him.

****

“Need any help, Sire? Shall we call a search party for her?”

****

“No.”

****

He ought to, to be safe. He knew he should, and the fear that she had been abducted or killed gnawed at him in the worst way. The problem was that he shouldn't worry so much about a single woman, a vampire hunter at that. Why was he losing it like this, scaring everyone? He hadn't been this bad in at least a hundred years. 

****

“She knows where she's going, and I want to give her a chance to come back on her own,” he said, still pacing and hoping she would walk in, pleased knowing he had trusted her. “I just wish she'd warn me or I had some way to ensure she was still on our lands-”

****

He stopped when he remembered the necklace. The two in the doorway looked hopeful until they saw him go to a window. 

****

“Sire?”

****

_ There _ she was. She was still in the heart of his lands, and she seemed to be on the move, heading closer. 

****

“She's close,” he said, turning and looking relieved. “Let's finish off those complaints.”

****

As he sat and listened to complaints, he found himself growing more discontented. He had gotten used to having Marianne around; her presence was something he looked forward to every day, regardless of what they did. Were his feelings for her just feelings, or something more? 

****

He was just finishing up when he heard a large commotion outside the throne room doors. The time to be seen had ended, and he feared that more had come when all he wanted was to pace until he had his Marianne back in his arms. He went to the doors, yanking them open to take care of the interlopers himself. 

****

“What is the-Marianne!”

****

There in front of him stood Marianne, being embraced by half a dozen goblins. His world was at rights again, a new sense of peace and joy entering it knowing that Marianne was back. She seemed puzzled why all were crowding around her thusly, but he knew. Her absence was the cause of his poor mood. The problem was that he was going to have to get used to not having her around soon. The thought was disgusting and reviled him, but that was forgotten upon realizing that she was back. 

****

“Bog, hi! Sorry I disappeared longer than I expected. I was having a good time out there,” she said, looking ashamed.

****

All the goblins parted for their King at once, allowing him to take three hulking steps forward before he was in front of her.

****

“Next time, say dinner to be safe,” he said, pulling her into his arms.

****

“For all our sakes. I haven't seen him this worried in over a century,” said Stuff.

****

“You may all leave now,” he said as all left, disappointed to miss the moment between them. 

****

“Were you really that worried?” she asked, looking him in the eye. 

****

“Yes, of course I was. You do realize that I lo-like you,” he said, recovering quickly as he held her closer. “What if you had been abducted or killed?”

****

He was cursing internally at his almost screw-up. Bogdangit, when had he gone from developing feelings to falling in love with her? His mind was racing, trying to examine what he felt, but it all led to the same end result. All it took was one near-scare with her and the thought of not having her around, and the reality of his feelings came crashing upon him, clear as day.

****

“I wasn't. You could check with the necklace-”

****

“I did,” he said ruefully. “I scared everyone here until I did.”

****

Marianne laughed with joy at the image of angry Bog stomping about before leaning in to rest against him, trying to reassure him of her presence. “I'm sure you'll never forget it again.”

****

“I won't. Still, if you hadn't been moving a lot, I had been tempted to check on you. If you had dropped it-”

****

“I didn't. Thank you, Bog. I didn't know I could be so missed.”

****

She was humbled by all the attention, and she glowed with satisfaction at the thought of him worrying so much.  She didn’t like causing him pain, but she wanted to be missed, to be wanted, at some level. Bog didn’t notice her bigger smile; he was just trying ot tell the truth without admitting he loved her.

****

“I have, ever since you started spending time with your sister,” he muttered, making her squeeze him just a little tighter. “I can't believe I'm saying such a thing to a hunter.”

****

“It's okay,” she said, patting his chest as she pulled away, “I never thought I'd see the day I'd want to make a vampire a gift, but here I am.”

****

“You made me a gift?” he asked, his eyes lighting up, his voice failing to hide his excitement. 

****

“Yep. You've done so much for me recently. This is something my sister and I used to do after hearing stories from our father. Our mother made a boutonniere for our father for each of his birthdays. She wasn't known to say or do much, but she always took a day to create something beautiful for him.”

****

She pulled out her odd collection of leaves, flower petals, and sticks, held together with string and tree sap. There was a boutonniere and a flower crown made of similar materials.

****

Looking down, she spoke, “Unfortunately, all creative tendencies of my mother passed directly to my sister. Sorry it's only this. I got lost in creating it for you; I thought you deserved more than just a boutonniere. You don't have to take it if you don't want it, but it's here if you do.”

****

“I  _ do  _ want it,” he said, snatching them from her hands without ceremony. He put the crown on and placed the stick on the bottom in his front pocket before patting it proudly, smiling like he had been given the best gift in the world. 

****

Marianne was struck dumb at seeing his pride, but inside, she felt a deep sense of joy at being able to give that to him. 

****

Bog fumbled with the right words to say so he found himself saying instead, “It's very….lovely. I'll treasure it always.”

****

She grinned and straightened the crown slightly before they had dinner. All the goblins sighed in relief once all was as it should be. For another two weeks, things were peaceful in the land of the goblins. However, all good things must come to an end, and it came while the two were out in the touristy part of town, Bog taking Marianne to some of the better food that wasn't goblin-made since she was itching for some more normal food. They had just left the restaurant when Marianne felt her hunter senses tingling.

****

“Bog, are there any vampires that live close to here? Perhaps a coven?”

****

“No! I wouldn't let them. This is my land, not theirs,” he said indignantly. “Why? Is someone here? How many?”

****

“At least six. It gets harder to tell after that at this distance,” she whispered, waving at him to join her behind a concrete wall. 

****

Once both were situated, Marianne said, “Let's try to sneak up on them. Follow me.”

****

They went about a mile out of town before they found what they were looking for: eight vampires dressed in Roland's preferred colors.

****

One said, “We're outside the range that we're supposed to be looking for Fairfield by at least fifty miles! What are we doing out here?”

****

“Slight miscalculation?” answered another one, looking afraid.

****

“Imbecile. This is why we haven't found her yet. At least Dawn is easy to find.”

****

Marianne started to move toward them at the mention of her sister, so Bog firmly grabbed her, whispering as softly as he could to force her to stay until they had a plan.

****

“Where are we supposed to be?” asked another vampire.

****

As the vampires argued amongst themselves about where to go next according to Roland's less-than-ideal directions, they finally came to an agreement as Bog and Marianne prepared to fight.

****

“Good. Now that that is settled, let's feed here.”

****

“I don't think we should. Smells like another vampire's grounds,” said the scared one. 

****

“What's one vampire against eight? Let's go to that bar,” said the leader.

****

Before they could move, Bog and Marianne attacked. 

****

“Idiots! We angered Bog King!”

****

“Who cares? We found her! Capture her!”

****

A tussle ensued as all the vampires descended on Marianne, quickly surrounding her as Bog tried to get in and stop them. She tried to use the hate dust, but they swatted it at Bog, making him separate from her.  Then, they got her weapon out of her hands, scratching hard enough to draw blood in multiple spots as they did so. 

****

Bog felt his body go into overdrive, his glamor disappearing as he started to turn into the goblin he hid. “Marianne! Close your eyes!”

****

“Bog?”

****

She was unprepared for the high-pitched sound that filled her ears, like nails on a chalkboard. She watched Bog as his body melted away before her, revealing a different kind of body altogether, his goblin one. A cross between a grasshopper and cockroach with four, thin wings and even more spindly body, he was unlike any of the other goblins she had seen, even taller now. For a moment, she wondered if it could truly be Bog, as truly frightening and bloodthirsty as he seemed. That was when she saw his eyes. They were still as blue as ever; he was still her Bog. Some small portion of her fear was abated as peace replaced it, even as shock reeled through her. 

****

When he growled to mark his territory, the other eight vampires ignored him, focusing on causing Marianne more harm. Her blade was used to create more gashes on her arms, blood spilling as they managed to break her right arm. She kicked and thrashed until she got her weapon back from sheer stubbornness and force. 

****

“She's too feisty! Let's kill her now! He'll love us for it!”

****

The others started to cheer until Bog sent three flying to his right, and two to his left, swinging his staff with all his might. He bit and tore the arms off of two more, incapacitating them so that Marianne had only one to fight, who she dispatched after some maneuvering.  Bog finished off the other two, getting scratched up in the process. When two of the others came at her, Bog was ready, destroying them. Marianne tried to swing at more vampires with her stake, but she was losing too much blood. She tossed it to Bog instead. It didn't matter at that point; the last three tried to go for her in her weakened state but didn't make it before Bog had them cursing and disintegrating. He had nicks and scratches all over his exoskeleton, and he was severely winded, much of his energy sapped from taking that form and putting all of himself into the fight.

****

As soon as Bog sensed that all the threats were gone, he let loose one last high-pitched noise before his glamour returned, the small scratches from before now giant wounds that would need more time to heal. Marianne could only look on in awe at the change and his dedication before he enveloped her in his arms, apologizing and saying every encouraging word he could think of in his gruff tone. She could feel how tired he was in his short pants and need to cling to her, even if she did welcome it happily. Shortly thereafter, all the goblins settled there came streaming toward her, Stuff and Thang at the front. 

****

“We'll take care of the rest, BK. You should return home and see to her wounds,” said Stuff.

****

“Do you need to feed?” asked Thang worriedly.

****

“Yes,” replied Bog, the smell of Marianne overwhelming him. “Very soon. Let's go.”

****

As soon as Marianne was deposited in a bed with every healer available, Bog disappeared. When he was alone, he surreptitiously tasted some of Marianne's blood that had transferred onto him while he had been holding her. Some primal part of his brain wanted to go to Marianne at once and make her his only blood donor for life, and another part of him wanted to mate with her, if only to secure the most succulent blood he had ever tasted. As it was, he felt a second wind fill him, along with a growing need to be close to Marianne.

****

“Sire?” asked Thang, confused why Bog was pressing his fingertips against the windows hard enough to crack them, all wounds healed.

****

“I've never felt so alive and strong before,” said a throaty Bog. “This is, she is-”

****

“Did you taste her blood?” asked Thang in shock, not expecting it. “You haven't taken from someone unwilling since before you chose me-”

****

“It was by accident,” interrupted Bog, turning and showing bloodshot eyes. “She got some on me. I just wanted to know….”

****

“Curiosity killed the cat,” replied Thang. “Shall I have her arranged to be sent away?”

****

“What? No!” he roared, picking up Thang in one swoop. “I can control myself. I just didn't expect it to feel like this. She always smelled good-”

****

“Really? Every vampire I talk to says that she smells awful, even Sunny and Griselda,” said Thang, not doing himself any favors. 

****

“They're all wrong and delusional,” said Bog, putting down Thang as he calmed. “Clearly there's something special about her in relation to me. I'm not hungry and don't even feel weak anymore. Just one drop of her, and I feel invincible!” He felt like he could dance and sing, but he chose not to. Instead, he faced his longtime friend. “Nonetheless, I want to feed. I'm not taking any chances around her. Also, I sense Mother is coming.”

****

He was right. Within the hour, Griselda was causing hubbub and shouting orders at everyone to ensure Marianne was taken care of before she went to Bog.

****

“What did you do?” she asked without preamble in the doorway.

****

“She and I tried to fight off eight vampires. They all surrounded her and took her weapon, threatening to kill her. I turned,” he said, making Griselda gasp.

****

She walked toward him slowly. “You haven't done that since-”

****

“I know,” he said, looking away. “That fateful day. This is much more serious than then; I l-love her.”

****

“Oh, Bog!” cried Griselda, overjoyed as she embraced him. “I'm so happy for you! Not that you had to turn and fight, but-”

****

“I know, Mother. I had just figured it out a couple weeks ago, and then this. I've never felt so useless in that moment,” he said, hanging his head.

****

“It's okay, Sweetie. It's better this way. It was time she saw the real you.”

****

“I don't know,” he said, growing worried as he remembered that detail. “We'll see how she responds to me in the upcoming week. That's not all.”

****

“Does it have anything to do with the fact that you should've been fast asleep by now? Your wounds take at least three hours to heal, and you’ve got nothing to show for that attack. All goblins who turn and charge get injured and need to sleep for a day,” she said, giving him a critical eye.

****

“Yes. What does it mean when only a drop of blood can restore you completely and its scent drives you batty?” he asked, looking worried.

****

“You tasted her?” she asked shrilly, trying to box his ears. “It's not polite, even if you saved her life-”

****

“Mother, she was bleeding profusely! She got some on me. Please!” he begged, needing to know. “I don't know.”

****

“It means that she's your mate, doofus,” she said, whacking the side of his head. “I could've told you that after you said that she smelled good when clearly she smells like old, rotten diapers and hot, stale beer combined. It's awful.”

****

“She does not! Dawn smells like that,” he said, scrunching up his nose in remembrance. He politely ignored her scent when he was around her 

****

Griselda looked up at the ceiling, as though calling upon her dead mate for advice. In a more thoughtful tone, she said, “It's unusual for vampires to mate but not goblins. My husband knew we were mates, and he acted accordingly. What are you going to do about it?”

****

“I don't know,” he said, sitting down as he tried to process. “It's not right or fair to her-”

****

“That's nonsense! I'm glad my husband told me; he was right,” replied Griselda, shaking a finger at Bog. “She deserves to know, too. Let her decide. I think she loves you.”

****

“She has a delicate relationship with the Syndicate already. She has even more trust issues with vampires-”

****

“She trusts you, though,” tried Griselda, her voice grating on him. “Tell her.”

****

“I'll think about it,” he said, making Griselda huff and mutter as she went and sat at Marianne's bedside. 

****

When Marianne stirred at hearing a noise, she turned and saw a pleased Griselda first.

****

“Marianne, sweetie! Your hair is a fright, but I'm so glad you're alive! How do you feel?”

****

“Everything hurts,” she said, arms and legs heavy.

****

“All in good time, dear. Now, how is your brain? Still reeling in fear from the whole event?”

****

“Fear?” asked Marianne, attempting to sit up. “We won; why should I be afraid? It was an adrenaline rush the whole time, and we worked well together despite my injuries.”

****

“You're not afraid of Bog?” asked Griselda, looking skeptical. 

****

“I was at first,” replied the hunter as Bog stepped up to the doorway.  When he heard that, however, he turned around, ashamed. “I knew he was part goblin-”

****

“That’s what he looked like before he became a vampire. Countless others before you have run from him in fear of that form of him,” replied the ancient woman. “It doesn't scare me since I also married a goblin, but even most goblins are afraid of him.”

****

“Only because he's such a fierce fighter!” cried Marianne, ready to defend him. “He's much more than his looks or fighting abilities, though. He's not scary; he's gruff but understanding. Sweet and kind, at least to me.  And I was only afraid of him at first; once I saw his eyes, I knew.”

****

“You knew what, exactly?” asked Griselda, smiling.

****

“That he’s still my Bog, the one who cares despite being rejected.”

****

“Sounds like all things I used to use to describe my husband/mate to others,” said Griselda. “Do you realize how scared Bog was to show you that part of him?”

****

“No. It doesn't make sense.”

****

“Tell him that, and while you're at it, tell him you're not afraid of that form. It would put him at ease,” said Griselda, relaxing.

****

“I'll do that,” agreed Marianne, leaning back to rest. “I'm just surprised he changed form if he was so afraid of me seeing it.”

****

“It wasn't a voluntary change, deary. It never is for Bog,” said Griselda, face earnest and tone confiding.

****

“Why then?” asked Marianne, watching the chuckling older woman.

****

“When a goblin's mate or family is threatened, he protects what's his. He turns into his fiercest form, a beast of sorts, in order to destroy the threat. Bog hasn't done that since that fateful day so many years ago.”

****

“Oh.”

****

Marianne stared in slack-jawed surprise until Griselda tittered, “You're a special one, dear; you’ve got all the outward signs of being his mate, if his lack of wounds is any indication. He won't do that for just anyone, especially after he swore never to fall in love again.”

****

“Funny, I made that same decision after Roland. Look where it's gotten me,” muttered Marianne. “I'm stuck in bed, and all I want is to see Bog and know that he's alright.”

****

“I can help with that!” cried Griselda, leaving the room at once. When she was in his room, she yelled, “Bog, get your behind in Marianne's room right now! She wants to see you.”

****

Bog's eyes went wide, and he let himself be pushed by Griselda all the way to Marianne's door. He moved quickly when his eyes met his mate's. In that moment, nothing mattered but making her smile even more than she was upon seeing him. She outstretched her hands eagerly to him, and he rushed to stand in front of her, afraid of touching her. 

****

She was a little hurt by his actions but hid it well. “Bog, you're alright. I'm so relieved.”

****

“Yep, I'm fine, all here. Fangs, shoulders, head, etc,” he said nervously, making Marianne look at him more closely.  She had remembered him being injured as well, and Griselda was right. He was completely healed; she decided to bug him about it later, after she dealt with his reluctance. 

****

“What's wrong?” she asked. “Why are you afraid of me?”

****

“I'm not. I just thought you would be of me,” he said quickly, rubbing a hand along the back of his neck.

****

“You're wrong,” she said, taking his hand. “You've never given me a reason to be scared of you, even earlier tonight. I thought I'd never see your goblin form. It's so unique! You can fly in that form, too,  Lucky.”

****

“Wait, you don't hate it?” he asked, trying to understand. 

****

“No. I don't know understand why you'd think so,” she said, making a noise of disapproval in her throat. “Don't assume I’m like everyone else.”

****

“I won't. Not anymore,” he said, growing more uncomfortable about what else he was hiding, even if he knew she still feared him.  He was glad she didn’t hate it, but fear still meant she wouldn’t trust or love him. “What can I do for you now?”

****

“Nothing besides keep me company,” she said, trying to make a point as she took his hand.

****

It was lost on Bog, but he still agreed. They talked for a half hour, but she didn't last much longer before falling fast asleep, still holding on to him. Bog didn't have the heart to move or wake her up, so he stayed beside her. It wasn't long before he joined her in sleep, resting against her head. 

****

Marianne recovered a little more slowly, confined to her bed much against her wishes. The healers were insistent, however, and Bog trusted them. As a result, they only saw each other at meals and the end of their “day”. Bog was a little grumpy about her being gone more, but more than anything, he just watched Marianne's reactions to him. She seemed happy to see him, but he was almost positive it was due to being bored, rather than it being him specifically. He still doubted that she could love a hideous beast like him and didn't want to saddle her with him for the rest of her life. Trying to figure out how they'd make it work was less certain since she had no interest in becoming a vampire, so he kept his distance.

****

Meanwhile, Marianne dealt with her injuries to the best of her ability. Enforced relaxation gave her too much time to think, and often, her thoughts dwelled on Bog and her, namely her feelings for him. It was a mixed up set of emotions that she pieced together little by little. She had thought time away from Bog would be good for her since she was going to have to get used to not seeing him after Roland was killed. The reality was more empty and draining than she had expected. Whenever a goblin came into the room with something for her, she'd ask to hear stories of Bog or they would tell her what he had demanded them to do. So often he understood and anticipated her needs, and it was incredible to her how he did it. When he kept his distance from her, it bothered her because she knew at some level that he was either not believing her or not telling her something more. Either way, it made her slowly lose her patience. It wasn't until the last day of her confinement in bed that she got close to losing it. She was sitting in bed and doing exercises with her limbs when one of her blankets began to slip off the front end. She tried to kick it back toward her, but that didn't work, making her sigh loudly. Two attempts later with no success, she wanted to scream. 

****

“What's wrong?” asked Stuff as she entered the room while Marianne tried to appear normal.

****

“Nothing.”

****

Stuff laughed. “I know a forced smile when I see it on you and BK. You can tell me. Better that than blowing up in my face later.”

****

“Oh,” grumbled Marianne, surprised at how right Stuff was. Keeping that in mind, she explained, “I accidentally kicked my blanket off. All I want is to get up and move to grab it. Or just move in general, but I’m not supposed to.” 

****

“BK is just as bad as you when he's stuck in bed. Thankfully it's not often anymore. If you stick around, I doubt he'd even care or notice it,” said Stuff, grabbing the blanket and setting it on top of Marianne.

****

“Really? He doesn't act like it,” muttered the hunter. “Not that it bothers me or anything.”

****

Stuff eyed her and chuckled. “Sure it doesn't, just like it doesn't bother him to be sick.”

****

“I just don't understand why it bothers me so much,” added Marianne, not bothering to hide it since Stuff seemed to see right through her. “He's busy. We haven't known each other long, and we barely know one another-”

****

Stuff gave her a look of disbelief. 

****

“Alright, we know each other well. We're not that close-”

****

“You had spent more time with him by just flying to Paris than he ever did with the last woman he was interested in. By my definition, you’re as close as they come. He sees you every day, and he doesn't even like seeing Thang and me that often,” stated Stuff, still giving her an odd look. “You're the  _ only  _ person he likes seeing often.”

****

“I really enjoy our time together; I look forward to it every day,” said Marianne in a small voice, blushing slightly. 

****

“He gets so touchy and short-tempered when he doesn't see you, even more than usual.”

****

“Then why does he act so distant and seem to be hiding something?” she screamed, making Stuff back away.

****

“Why does it bother you so much? I get why he acts like this; he doesn’t want to smother you,” stated Stuff, not knowing the real reason. “He hates being smothered, and even if you are his mate as Thang says-”

****

“Why does Thang say that? Why does it matter?” asked Marianne curiously.  “I’ve heard Griselda mention it, but I didn’t know goblins mated.”

****

Stuff took a seat, ready to explain. On the off-chance that Thang was right - which she wanted just as much - she wanted Marianne to understand.

****

“All goblins are supposed to have mates.  Thang and I are mates. An odd couple, but happy.  BK gave up on finding his before he ever became a vampire.  The thing is that since goblins are so warlike, your mate can help you heal, even if it’s done in a backwards way.”

****

“I don’t understand,” said Marianne, ramming her head and back against the headboard, becoming frustrated again as Stuff played with the necklace she wore.

****

“Essentially, we mates give our blood, sweat, and tears to our mate, and one touch from one of those three things will heal the other completely from all physical ailments.  It was peculiar seeing BK heal so quickly from all his wounds after that last fight,” she said as an example. “However, I know he has always healed quickly. The fact that he gave you a necklace is suspect since it’s meant only for mates, but I’ll allow it because it’s protection for you.”

****

“Thank you,” said Marianne as Stuff prepared to go.  “I’ll be thinking about all this.”

****

“As well as why you’re upset with him, right?” confirmed Stuff in the doorway.  “He cares about you.”

****

“I care about him, too,” replied Marianne, putting her guest at ease before leaving.

****

When she was alone, Marianne put the mate discussion out of her mind, focusing on herself as others had been telling her to do. She kept telling herself she had some simple feelings for Bog, nothing else.  The problem was that she was responding too strongly to his absence and withdrawal, and it was beginning to feel empty to her own thoughts. It didn’t feel like enough, strangely enough. The man had managed to challenge her whole view of vampires, allowing her to trust in one completely for the first time.  He gave of himself freely, and she wanted to do the same for him, to tell him that she accepted him as he was. She wanted to make him happy, regardless of what it meant for her. She’d happily rush into a thousand more vampire-infested buildings to save him, and that was when she knew that liking him wasn’t a strong enough word.  These weren’t just pesky feelings she could ignore; these were choices - actions she’d happily make for him - her choices. She wanted to do more with him, and she wanted more of him. She wanted all of his trust. She wanted him. She loved him.

****

When she was absolutely convinced of that, she found herself at a loss for words.  She was able to ignore the rules of society for this, as there was no way they could convince her not to care about him.  Why not love him, too? The vampire aspect was still worrisome, but she decided she would figure it out with him once they admitted their mutual feelings. She wanted to tell him, but he was still being distant with her.  As a result, she got embarrassed and started being quiet around him, even as she told him daily that she wasn’t afraid of him. He seemed to ignore it, his behavior not changing. Things didn’t change when she began walking around and trying to use her arm.  She used a sling, and Bog treated her like a delicate doll wherever they went, whenever they were together. That awkwardness went on for a week until Marianne's phone went off one night. She reacted immediately, recognizing Dawn's ringtone.

****

“Dawn? What's happened?”

****

“Plumville. It's Roland,” gasped Dawn before the phone went dead.

****

“Find me a sling! We're leaving now,” she cried to Bog, grabbing her weapon and cringing in pain.

****

Bog was beside her immediately, trying to hold her in place.  “Marianne, no! You're not ready-”

****

“There's no time. Roland's in Plumville, and Dawn needs our help.”

****

Bog's eyes became flinty as he began to yell instructions for everyone. Within ten minutes, Marianne had a sling and food, and Bog was carrying her to Plumville as fast as he could fly. When they landed in front of the Syndicate’s headquarters, Roland appeared with Dawn in his grasp, Sunny snarling as he was held back by Roland's three cronies. 

****

“About time you two showed up. I was beginning to think you weren't carrying your dagger with you and had moved outside the city; now I see otherwise,” said a smug Roland. “If you ever want to see your sister again, you will meet me at the place where we had our first date. Alone,” he emphasized, looking Bog then Sunny. “If anyone else comes, I'll kill her first with pleasure. However, we all know who I really want to kill first,” he said, handing Dawn to five more vampires close by before waltzing over to Marianne.

****

“If you touch her-”

****

“Look at those wounds, Marianne. No more playing around. You've lived long enough, and so has she,” replied Roland, pointing at the injuries Dawn had received. “I cut her once every five minutes, for all the time you made me wait. I'll keep on doing it until you're ready to die. It's a pity you're injured; I wanted you to fight me a little,” he said, trying to draw close but unable to due to Bog standing protectively in front of her.

****

“When?” asked Marianne, a tremble in her voice, using Bog's back as support.

****

“Tomorrow night at sunset. Goodbye, Buttercup,” he said before grabbing Dawn and shifting into a bat.

****

The rest of the vampires disappeared soon after, leaving an injured Sunny on the ground. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Sorry about the cliffhanger! I promise you don't have to wait for the next one, though!


	4. They Admit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to face Roland and get some closure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Strange Magic or anything else I reference. The prompts for the fourth week of the Month of Lofe were mania/obsessive love and agape/compassion/the highest form of love. I snuck in some of both. Prepare yourselves for feels and then all the fluff! I hope you enjoy it!

_ Now I'm not a highly metaphysical man _

_ But I know when the stars are aligned you can _

_ Bump into a person in the middle of the road _

_ Look into their eyes and you suddenly know _

_ Rocking in the dance hall moving with you _

_ Dancing in the night in the middle of June _

_ My momma told me don't lose you _

_ 'Cause the best luck I had was you _

_ I say hey, I'll be gone today _

_ But I'll be back all around the way _

_ It seems like everywhere I go _

_ The more I see, the less I know _

_ But I know one thing _

_ That I love you (baby girl) _

_ I love you, I love you, I love you. - Michael Franti _

********   
  
  


Bog and Marianne rushed to Sunny after all the other vampires were gone. 

****

“What happened?” demanded Marianne as Bog went in search of blood for Sunny.

****

Sunny was shaking.  “Dawn and I were headed to see Plum when she sensed Roland. She called you, and then he attacked. The things he said and did..… I'm going to kill him.”

****

Marianne had never seen him so angry before, but she wasn't surprised after seeing Bog react to her. “I'll kill him when I see him tomorrow.”

****

“How? You're injured!” screamed a hysterical Sunny. 

****

“Now is  _ not  _ the time for hysterics,” said Bog, trying to be calm as he came back with someone.

****

“This is a perfect time! We need a miracle if we're going to save Dawn with Marianne injured like this,” said Sunny, gesticulating wildly.

****

“We'll figure it out,” said Marianne confidently as both vampires regarded her with wonder.

****

“You three! In here, now!” yelled Plum, coming outside.

****

“Why? You've failed these girls so many times,” stated Bog, needing an outlet. 

****

“Unless you've got a magic potion that heals broken bones, you're useless. She's already got a good weapon,” said Sunny, equally upset.

****

“Enough!” yelled Marianne, stepping in front of the men. “We need to go inside and figure out a plan, regardless if Plum is involved. Do you want to save her or not?”

****

Once all were inside, Plum said, “I'll be in my office since you don't seem to want me. Let me know if I can help. I'd like to.”

****

The three went to a room, where Bog immediately started pacing. Marianne sat, not sure what to do, and Sunny stared at Bog, trying to stay calm.

****

“Well?” asked Bog when he stopped pacing in front of Marianne. “What are we doing?”

****

“Oh, you want to work with me now?” snarked Marianne, getting up and into his face.

****

“Yes. I never stopped wanting to,” he said through grit teeth.

****

“You could've fooled me,” she said, tapping a foot impatiently. “You've been so distant since I was injured-”

****

“I was nervous,” he said, dismissing her concerns.

****

“I've seen you nervous. You were actively avoiding me. Why?” she asked.

****

“Now is  _ not  _ the time for a lovers’ tiff!” yelled Sunny, getting up and separating them. 

****

Both looked at one another briefly, neither denying the term before Marianne got right back into it. “ _ You _ started it. I always asked you to visit-”

****

“Because you're grateful for me saving your life, but nothing more!” he replied, his voice rising again. “It'll never be anything more-”

****

“Only if you continue to act like an fool and ignore me!” she yelled, pounding on his chest with her good hand. “If you just opened your eyes and  _ listened  _ to me when I said that I’m not afraid of you, then you'd know I'm not just grateful. I love you, you idiot!”

****

She covered her mouth, as though she could take back what she had accidentally admitted. It was too late, though; Bog was staring at her in unrestrained wonder.

****

“You love me?” he asked, not quite understanding her as he repeated the words to himself.

****

“Yes,” she said, slightly annoyed at his inability to accept it.

****

“I’m a vampire and a goblin,” he said, unwilling to believe it.

****

“I trust you, and I’m not afraid of you.  We can make it work, even if I won’t become a vampire.  I’d rather be with you than not. I love you, not based on appearances or fleeting emotions,” she said, trying to make him see and hoping that he would reply in kind.

****

“It's been obvious since Paris. Both of you have been,” added Sunny, as though it were common knowledge.

****

“Have not!” both said in reply, glaring at him.

****

Sunny threw up and his hands and gave up on Dawn for the moment, seeing no way around this awkward exchange except to help push them through it.

****

“Though my feelings did change a lot then,” said Bog, turning back to Marianne. “I didn't think it was possible.”

****

“I wish you'd stop assuming I'm like every other woman in that respect; I think I've proven I'm unique,” she said, giving him an annoyed look.

****

“I can't help it. Just when I thought you could love me, you saw my goblin form-”

****

“That only confirmed it for me!” she cried, her good hand and arm taking his face. “I had an inkling my feelings were stronger than I cared to admit.  I saw all of you, and I was relieved. I gave it a lot of thought to figure out why I hated you staying away so much. Dawn thought you cared a lot for me-”

****

“I knew I was in love with you soon after she last visited,” he admitted softly, his hands cradling her injured arm. “I missed you when you left to make that boutonniere; I knew after that.”

****

“So you avoided me because you felt I wouldn't be able to care for you in return?” she asked, her voice high.

****

“No, I avoided you because I discovered that you were my destined mate,” he said, looking away nervously.

****

“What?!” shouted Marianne and Sunny in unison.

****

“But vampires-”

****

“I'm a goblin, Sunny,” sighed Bog, preparing himself to explain it all over again as he faced the woman at the center of his thoughts. “We mate for life. Marianne's mine.”

****

She took a deep breath, then another, eyes fixed on his. She tried to make sense of it all, stepping closer to him in the process. 

****

“So you find out that we're meant to be together, and you won't tell me that? Why?”

****

He was surprised how gentle and quiet she was being about it. “Because if you feared me and didn't trust me anymore, I didn't want to force you to stay with me. I want you to choose me,” he explained, finally saying the whole truth out loud. “Just for me, without knowing about this bond.”

****

“I do. I choose you,” she said, making him blink rapidly. “Oh, Bog, don't cry!”

****

“You would if you’re this happy,” he said as Marianne wiped one tear with her hand, the other dripping and touching her injured arm. 

****

Sunny was watching the love confessions with interest, surreptitiously recording it for Dawn since she thought they would eventually do so. He had noticed the tears just like the other two, and in that moment, he was glad he was recording Marianne closely. Otherwise, he had no way of explaining why a popping noise suddenly emanated from Marianne's arm as all her wounds and scars suddenly vanished from her skin. 

****

“Bog?”

****

“What, Marianne?” he asked, looking around concerned.  

****

“What just happened?” she asked, not sure how to describe what she felt happen as soon as his tears touched her, motioning down.

****

“I don’t understand,” he said, looking at her arms until he realized that the scars that he had gotten used to seeing were gone.  Not only that, but all the new wounds that she had just received were no longer on her skin.

****

“I saw it, too,” said Sunny, jumping in and stepping closer.  “I heard a weird noise coming from her arm. How did everything get healed the moment that your tears touched her?”

****

Bog’s eyes widened in realization before he demanded, “Take off the sling.  I don’t think you need it anymore.”

****

She looked at him like he was crazy, even if she didn’t feel the lingering pain anymore.  Once she removed it and moved around her arm, she was amazed to discover that she could move it freely.  When Bog ran his hands along where the break had been, he whispered, “Amazing. So it is true.”

****

“What’s true?” asked the other two, wanting to know and giving him dumbfounded looks.

****

“Remember when I said that goblins mate? There are certain...benefits to having a mate,” said Bog, smiling as he remembered.

****

“Wait...Stuff was telling me about it!” cried Marianne, getting excited.  “She said that it’s a bit odd, but when you give your blood, sweat, and tears - she meant that literally!”

****

“Yes,” he said, nodding and rubbing her arm, glad she was back to normal.

****

“I missed something here! What about blood, sweat, and tears?” asked Sunny, very lost.

****

“Goblin mates can help heal one another.  While the other’s love heals the heart and soul, there is also a physical manifestation of it through blood, sweat, or tears.  One of those three can heal your body of all injuries. Marianne’s blood healed me after I turned into a goblin-”

****

“How did you get some?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

****

“You were bleeding everywhere and got some on me.  It wasn’t hard to do it, even if I had to resist every instinct within me not to feed on you at that point,” he said, touching her face.  “I held on to you to avoid doing something else. You smell heavenly normally, and with open wounds then-”

****

“I see,” she said, now understanding as she cringed at causing him pain.  “I forgot how painful that must’ve been for you.”

****

“I’d go through much worse if it meant keeping you alive at any cost,” he said, holding her close.  “Anything for you. If it means I cry a lot more since my tears can heal you, then I’ll do it.”

****

“I’ll just keep making you happy,” she quipped, making him chuckle.

****

Sunny grinned at finally understanding the whole story.  The two had a bond much more powerful than even Dawn had realized. “So, what’s next for us?” asked Sunny, feeling justified in breaking up the love fest to save Dawn.

****

“We trap Roland,” said Marianne, pulling away from Bog to admire her arm.  “I’ll still wear the sling and lull him into a false sense of security. The moment he gets close, I’ll attack.  You two will be close by, ready to jump in and save Dawn once I have him away and distracted.”

****

“That’s my Tough Girl,” said Bog proudly, moving to sit.  “I feel much better about all of this now.”

****

After a little more conversation, the three had a solid, thought-out plan, and then they went to sleep and feed.  A little before sunset the next day, Marianne visited Plum for luck and more toys, then woke the vampires up. Sunny also went to visit Plum and came out with a small vial that he didn’t want to talk about.  

****

As they flew to a small, Italian restaurant, Marianne reminded them, “Roland loves to talk.  Be ready to stew a bit, as I think he’ll still talk, despite getting serious about wanting to kill me.  It wouldn’t surprise me if he recreated our first date, the conceited jerk.”

****

“Why? What was so good about it?” asked Bog, looking up at her.

****

“He rented out the whole place just for us.  There was a candlelit dinner and soft music in the background, and he said everything sweet to convince me he was the best, most handsome guy ever and that he was honoring me by condescending to date me,” said Marianne, her tone acrid.

****

“Eesh. I know he talks like that to other vampires, but I thought he’d do better than that with a girl,” said Sunny, flying alongside Bog.

****

“I was blind at that time, but he was impressive and persuasive then.  Only now can I look back and see what he was actually saying,” said a disgruntled Marianne.  “Sunny, do you sense she’s here?”

****

“When did you give her a bracelet for tracking?” interrupted Bog curiously.

****

“After I saw Marianne’s necklace and saw the wisdom in doing so,” said Sunny, honing in on Dawn’s location.  “Yes, she’s close by. Not sure how close, but I’m going to find her.”

****

Marianne and Bog smiled to themselves, glad to see Sunny’s dedication.  Once they were five blocks away from the restaurant, they landed so she could appear alone.

****

“Go find Dawn, Sunny.  Bog, keep an eye out on both of us if Dawn is further away.”

****

“I will.  Whatever happens, Marianne, know that I love you,” said Bog, holding her close. 

****

“I don’t care how many times you turn into your goblin form; I love you, too. I may have been afraid at first, but it was only for a short time,” she whispered in his ear.  “I saw your eyes and knew. I know it’s still you underneath all that, trying to protect me, even if I don’t need it.”

****

“I know,” he said, smiling ruefully.  “It’s just a goblin thing.”

****

“Good thing you’ve got an equally stubborn and protective mate then,” she replied, kissing him.

****

The kiss was desperate and passionate, fear of the unknown consuming them both. Neither one wanted to let go now that they had admitted everything publicly. 

****

“Yes. I’m very fortunate,” he rasped when they came up for air.  “Okay, Marianne, it’s time to shine.”

****

She left his arms reluctantly before going to Sunny.  “Whatever happens, know that I trust you,” she said, hugging him tightly.  “Take care of Dawn above all else.”

****

“I will.”

****

With that, she made the long, seemingly awkward-looking walk to the restaurant.  Just as she feared, the banner from before was hanging up front, saying “Welcome Marianne.  Love, Roland.”

****

As soon as she entered the building, Roland appeared in the exact same place as before, at the check-in table wearing his favorite black suit.  His hair was as fluffy and perfect as usual, and the only noticeable difference to him was the fact that his face and smile were more predatory and smug than usual.

****

“Buttercup! So glad you agreed to share your last meal with me.  I promise I’ll make it worth your while and make you feel like a princess, just like I did before,” said Roland, bowing and taking her good arm. “Such a pity you have to ruin your look with that awful, blue sling.  Let’s take it off, just for tonight,” he said, taking his dagger from her sheath and cutting it off, making her hiss. He broke the dagger after it, rendering her only visible weapon useless. “Sorry, darling, but you know how I feel about you looking perfect.  You just never are able to.”

****

“Only because you’re a slimeball who can’t see beauty past skin depth,” she muttered, making him chuckle.  

****

“That’s all there is, Buttercup.  Everything else is fleeting when you’re a vampire.  Everyone changes with time internally. I’ll be forever young, especially once you and your annoying sister are dead.”

****

“Where is she?” she grit out, not trusting herself to bring up Bog without revealing part of the plan.

****

“Close by.  I’ll have her be brought out when dinner is done.  I intend to make this just like last time, food and everything.  All for you,” he said, giving her a creepy grin.

****

“I didn’t realize you paid so much attention,” she commented as he helped her sit.

****

“I pay attention to  _ everything  _ involving you,” he replied, a manic look in his eyes.  “I’ve enjoyed playing with you so much. I was so upset to find out you were alive, but we made the most of it.  I had you eating out of the palm of my hand.”

****

“Only because you manipulated me,” she retorted, getting angry.

****

“Come now, Marianne, is that any way to talk to the generous, gorgeous being that I am? I don’t have to feed you and provide all this atmosphere before killing you,” he said.  “I just want to do it to prove how much of an impact you’ve made, that I am much nicer than you give me credit for.”

****

“You make me vomit. You’re scum between my toes,” she said, standing up as she listened to the same music and saw the servers come out with plates of lasagna and salad.

****

“You've spent too much time with that goblin; your language has gotten so coarse,” tsked Roland, motioning for her to sit. “Don't you have any  _ burning  _ questions for me while we eat?”

****

She rolled her eyes. Nothing about him had changed, but for once, she was glad. She had no signal that Dawn had been found, and she needed more information about Roland's army.

****

Once she was seated again, he grinned and motioned for the plates to be put in front of them.

****

“Well, Buttercup?” he asked after he had eaten his tiny salad. 

****

“What's the deal with your army? How big is it? Where is it?” she asked, devouring the lasagna as fast as she could. The sooner she finished, the sooner she could kill him. She ate awkwardly with her left hand, and Roland seemed pleased about it.

****

“if I didn't know any better, I'd think you had planned something,” said Roland, laughing at the absurdity of it.

****

Marianne was insulted, even if she was glad that he didn't suspect she was wearing a wire that went to Bog and Plum. 

****

“You know me so well,” she cooed, trying to sound simpering. Roland preened under the attention.

****

“I do. Like that makeup job you did on your arms; it’s impressive.  Don't think I didn't notice that necklace you're wearing, or that ring. If he thinks he has any right to you, he's wrong. You're  _ mine, _ ” said Roland, his tone darkening and lowering, making her pause. “All mine to kill. Remember that.”

****

She sneered at him, “You're crazy-”

****

“Only crazy in love with you, my fiery little hunter obsession,” he interrupted, trying to reach out a finger to tickle her under her chin. She snarled and avoided him, making him smile. “Yes, there's that fire you hid for so long from me. I'm glad I've had time to see it since. It makes the hunt and kill  _ so  _ much more satisfying.”

****

“Almost as much as hearing yourself talk?” she quipped, making him shake his head.

****

Marianne knew he didn’t love her; whatever messed-up, crazy, obsessive thing it was he felt, it wasn’t love.  He loved power and his hair, and not in that order.

****

Roland ignored her comment, ready to do exactly what she suggested

****

“Where was I? Oh yes, my army. A week after I killed your mother, everyone in the vampire community knew. It was so easy to convince them to join me after that. You've killed maybe twenty of my hundreds, all loyal to me. They trust and follow no one but me, so don't bother trying to sway them to your side,” he said, smirking. “You'll never be able to convince them that you and your sister are good or trustworthy.”

****

“Only because you've fed them lies,” she replied, finishing her meal at last.

****

“Vampires and hunters can never coexist. That's the way it has been and always will be,” he said, twirling a lock of hair. “As soon as I kill you both, they'll leave Juno and join me here. Then, we shall reveal ourselves to the world and take over the world, and I will be King.”

****

“I'm done,” she said, getting up and glad to have the information. She was  _ so  _ ready to kill him. “What happens next?”

****

“Then it’s time for my favorite part: dessert,” he said, motioning to his cronies.  “First, we need an audience.”

****

“Dawn!” cried Marianne as her sister was dragged in, beat up badly.  She started to get up to go to her, but Roland stopped her, taking her wrist.

****

“Now, now, Marianne, she can still see and understand just fine.  I made sure of it myself. It’s time for you to die.” 

****

“Not today!” cried Marianne, using her healed hand and arm to grab the hidden gift from Bog.  Within moments, she freed herself from Roland’s grasp amid cheers from Dawn. Then, the two were facing one another.

****

“Buttercup, I’m impressed.  You actually thought ahead. You’re still going to die, but at least you tried,” said Roland, condescending tone in place.  “Boys, take Dawn to the kitchen to watch. We’re going to need more space, and we can’t risk letting the sisters get close to one another.”

****

“Why, you-”

****

“Sunny! Boggy?”

****

“What?” yelled Roland, looking to see that the two men had appeared from behind and were already hard at work trying to kill Roland’s cronies.

****

Marianne took advantage of his distraction to rush at him, but he recovered just in time to hold her back, he overpowering her easily even with a fully-healed body.  Marianne didn’t care, and she went on the offensive for several rounds, trying to get close to him as Sunny and Bog killed off two of the cronies. Dawn was fidgeting and keeping the third guard busy enough that he couldn’t leave with her, and Marianne tried to move her fight toward them, at least until Roland finally noticed.

****

“Ah, ah, Buttercup. You  _ will  _ be killed by me,” he said, stepping in the way of getting to Dawn.  

****

When he attacked, Marianne was ready.  She braced herself for impact and tried to get as many hits in as she could.  When she was almost backed into a corner, Bog appeared, snarling and throwing Roland to the side with a surprise attack from behind.  Roland was  _ not  _ happy.  As he watched his last crony be killed by Sunny, he knew he had no choice.  He retreated to the dinner table, where the sole candle on the table was still lit.  He picked it up and waved it at Bog and Marianne.

****

“I’ll do it!” he cried, raising his voice theatrically as he backed up toward Dawn.  “I’ll kill us all, if only to have the satisfaction of killing all of you at once. As long as Marianne dies.”

****

Marianne made for him, Bog not far behind.  Roland’s sense of self-preservation kicked in long enough to swing the candle at Sunny before snatching his weapon and bashing Sunny over the head with it, knocking him out.  Then, he grabbed a squirming Dawn, bringing the sword to her throat.

****

“Two against one?” said Roland, pulling Dawn toward the back door.  “No fair. Now you’re forcing me to change my plan.”

****

“Roland!”

****

Both ran for him at once, and he threw the candle off to the left where it quickly caught the floor on fire.  Bog ran for Sunny, who was close to the fire, and Marianne went for Roland as Dawn used what little power she had left to knee Roland in the groin.  

****

“You stupid woman!” crowed Roland, reeling in pain as he stabbed Dawn in the chest, making her bawl in agony.  “You’ll pay! You’ll all burn!”

****

“Dawn!”

****

Sunny and Marianne were soon joining in, screaming in wretched, broken grief as Dawn’s life started to leave her body.  As Roland tried to take the sword out of Dawn, Marianne took that moment to pull out the other end of her gift. 

****

When she was right behind him, she impaled him with the stake.  “This is for my mother and Dawn!”

****

“No,” he croaked as he disintegrated into nothingness.

****

“Marianne!” cried Bog.  “Get Dawn, and let’s get out of here!”

****

They were barely out of the building before the whole place came down, all bad memories gone with it.  Sunny was conscious, but he was crying over Dawn’s prone body as Marianne and Bog knelt on the other side of her, equally shaken and hurting. 

****

“What do we do?” cried Sunny as Marianne finished assessing how long Dawn had left.

****

Marianne shook her head and made a snap decision, not knowing how else to save her.

****

“She’s got a few minutes, if that.  Sunny, you need to turn her.”

****

“What?” said both vampires, looking at her as though she were crazy.

****

“She’s going to die.  Better she live as a vampire and happy with you than dead,” she said, pushing Dawn into Sunny’s arms.  “Save her. I trust you.”

****

Sunny nodded and said, “This wasn’t the circumstance I had in mind for this, but-”

****

“Just do it!” replied the other two, and so he bit Dawn’s neck. When he was done, Sunny gingerly placed Dawn in his lap, cradling her.  Then, he remembered something and pulled out a vial.

****

“What’s that?” asked Marianne warily.

****

“It was a gift from Plum.  She was afraid that either you or Dawn might get turned because of this fight; she gave me this potion that hastens the turning process, all while making it painless.  I was hoping to save this for my wedding day with Dawn I’m going to give it to her now.”

****

Marianne nodded, happy to give anything to Dawn to help the process.  Bog was amazed that such a thing existed. Perhaps Plum could be helpful sometimes.

****

Fifteen minutes later after digesting the potion, Dawn started coming to and coughing.  When she was finally in control of her faculties, she looked at herself and the people around her.

****

“Marianne? Sunny? Boggy? Why are you here? Why am I alive? And why am I so thirsty?”

****

“Dawn!” they cried collectively, Marianne eagerly hugging her.

****

“Ugh, Marianne! You smell awful, like charred remains and diapers.  What did you roll in this time?” said Dawn, disgusted. 

****

Marianne only laughed as the other two disagreed slightly about how to describe Marianne’s scent.

****

“Dawn, because you were dying, I ordered Sunny to turn you into a vampire.  You got your wish, little sister; you’re now like Sunny,” said Marianne, pulling away to look Dawn in the eye.

****

Dawn’s mouth dropped before she remembered herself.  “You? You asked him to? But why? I thought you hated vampires.”

****

“I don’t trust many, yes,” she said.  “However, as those two know, I love Bog.”

****

“Aww, I’m so happy for you!” cried Dawn, pulling her sister into a hug, holding her breath to avoid the awful smell.

****

“I also trust Sunny with you, and your life is far more important than just some stupid label,” said Marianne.  “I will  _ always  _ love and trust you, no matter what form you take.  Blood is thicker than water, and I’m confident mom would say the same thing.  She’d want you to live, rather than die. You’ll be a force for good and still hunt the rogue vampires.”

****

“You betcha! And now I’ll be just as fast as them,” chirped Dawn before her face and tone grew soft again.  “Thank you, Marianne. I didn’t know how long it’d take you to come round to this.”

****

“Love is most important; my duty is to you first,” replied Marianne, helping her sister up before sniffling,  “I’m just glad you’re alive.”

****

As the sisters hugged, Bog and Sunny looked on awkwardly, both feeling the sting of tears.  Just as Bog felt the tears hit his cheek, Marianne and Dawn thankfully broke apart, and he ran to her at once.  Then Dawn had the chance to witness the miraculous ability of mates as he swiped the tear and pressed it to one of Marianne’s biggest gashes, rubbing his hand in her blood in the process.  Dawn watched all of Marianne’s skin heal itself, and Bog’s did the same after he licked the blood off his hand. Sunny came up from behind. 

****

“What  _ was  _ that?” asked Dawn in awe as the mates turned to her.

****

“Since Bog is a goblin, he mates.  I’m his mate,” said a blushing Marianne.  “His tears can heal me, just as my blood heals him.”

****

“Aww, that’s the most romantic thing ever!” squealed Dawn, clapping her hands together. “You two are so cute together! I’m so glad you finally got up the nerve to just talk to one another.”

****

“It was hard,” said Sunny, chuckling.  “You should’ve seen them after Roland left with you yesterday-”

****

“Yesterday? But the turning process takes two days,” stated Dawn, looking between them all and the burning building, her mind not willing to accept it.  “How?”

****

“Plum gave me a potion to make you turn faster and without pain,” explained Sunny.  “I know you didn’t ask for this now, but I figured you wouldn’t mind.”

****

“Mind? I’m alive!” she cried, kissing Sunny.  “Thank you.”

****

“Where’s Roland?” asked Plum as she and a number of other Syndicate members came forward, Stuff and Thang leading them.

****

“He’s dead.  Marianne staked him from behind at long last, and then she had Sunny bite Dawn to save her from dying,” said Bog proudly.

****

“Good.  Then we’re heading to Juno to find the rest of the army,” said Plum, finally noticing Dawn.  “You turned a lot faster than I expected. Welcome to the dark side, Dawn. I hope you take a nice honeymoon while learning to become a full-fledged vampire.”

****

“Believe me, we are,” said Sunny as Dawn smiled shyly.  The rest of the vampires around immediately came forward, observing her and noticed that she didn’t stink anymore.  

****

All were shocked until Plum yelled, “Alright, give the woman some space! Let’s go find an army!”

****

Soon after, the large group disappeared, and the four breathed in relief.

****

“Well, that went a lot better than I expected,” said Marianne.

****

“Plum wasn’t even fazed by it,” said Bog, surprised.  “Sunny, let’s take the ladies back to headquarters to rest and get you hitched.  After that, I’ll contact my mother. You can go there to hunt in privacy and enjoy more of Paris.”

****

“Could we really, Boggy Bear?” asked Dawn, racing to him and enveloping him in a hug that almost cracked a bone. 

****

“Yes,” he grit out.

****

“Oh, thank you!” she said, growing more excited.

****

“Dawn, I think it’s time to let go of him,” said Marianne, tugging at Dawn to let go of Bog.

****

When Dawn let go, Bog wheezed, “Yes. I can.”

****

Marianne gave him a light hug and kiss before he prepared to turn into a bat.  Just after he turned, Dawn shrieked, “Can I turn into a bat now, too?”

****

“Yes,” said Sunny, looking fondly at her.  “There’s a trick to it-”

****

“We’ll let you two bond over that.  We’re heading back,” said Marianne, climbing onto Bog.  “See you at headquarters!”

****

The next two weeks were a blur.  Plum came back with good news in time for the wedding, and Griselda made an appearance to help out with preparations.  

****

As soon as Roland’s army discovered he was dead, there had a mad dash for power.  When Plum and the others quickly stepped in to restore order and had the whole group surrounded, the army was told of the great game changer: one of the two hunters becoming a vampire.  If the tale was spun by Plum to make it seem like Dawn did it selflessly to prove how much she liked vampires, then she also did right by Marianne, stating that Marianne had ordered it to show that she was on the same page as her sister, wanting to keep the peace with the vampires.  With that, the army had no reason to go after Marianne, and they soon split up to go back to their homes, not wanting to be tried for the crimes of Roland. 

****

Once Plum was back, satisfied that no great war was going to start up, she did everything in her power to help Dawn learn to be a vampire, just as she had helped train her as a hunter.  Thankfully, Dawn had loads of help from Sunny and Bog, and later Griselda, providing a female viewpoint. Griselda had the fairy garden in the back transformed into a proper wedding spot in no time, and she, Plum, and Dawn became fast friends in arranging the whole thing.  

****

After Dawn had fed a few times, she and Marianne made the dreaded visit to their father.  He was still in his hideout in the forest, and he was shocked to see them, especially when they both appeared over his bedside at an absurdly early hour in the middle of the night.

****

“Girls? Why are you back? Dawn, what happened to you?” he asked when both girls were inside and under the light.

****

“It’s a long story, Dad.  You better sit down,” said Dawn, motioning for him to sit.

****

“Just tell me now.  What did they do to my baby girl?” he asked, taking Dawn’s face in his hands.

****

“The vampire that killed Mom stabbed me,” said Dawn.  “Just when I thought I was dying, Marianne asked the vampire I fell in love with to transform me into a vampire, and he did.”

****

“Marianne! You ordered this?” he asked, hurt.  “But what about your Mother?”

****

“Would you rather Dawn be dead or a vampire? I saw only one choice.  She’s still Dawn, but now she drinks blood.”

****

“I would  _ never  _ hurt you,” added Dawn, tears coming to her eyes.  “I love you, Dad.”

****

“I love you, too, Sweetheart.  My hate and fear should’ve died a long time ago, but it looks like they do now.  Come here, and now explain about how you fell in love with a vampire,” he said, taking his daughter into his arms, ready to let go of the past. 

****

“Thanks, Dad.  I think we both have some explaining to do,” said Dawn, calling out Marianne and making their father squirm a second.

****

“Marianne? What have you done?” he asked, still holding his other daughter. 

****

“It turns out that there is this really old vampire named Bog King-”

****

“I met him!” bellowed Dagda, staring at his daughter.  “Once, a few years before your mother died. He’s scary.”

****

“He’s part goblin, and apparently, goblins have mates.  I’m his fated mate,” she said, rushing to add, “But don’t worry, I love him! He loves me just as much.”

****

Dagda wished yet again that he had had sons so he wouldn’t have to deal with all this romantic drama.  “He better,” he mumbled. “Alright, give me a hug, and we’ll talk about all of this.”

****

A few hours later, he knew the whole story, and he agreed to come back to Plumville to participate in the wedding.  Just before sunrise, Dawn brought out the blackout curtains and things she needed to hide from the sun. After she went to bed, Dagda approached his elder daughter.

****

“So you’re not turning into a vampire yet?” he asked, a gleam in his eye as he sat beside her, watching the sun peek through the branches.

****

“No, not yet,” she said, giving him a side eye.  “I had no desire at first, but that is slowly changing.  We haven’t discussed that yet. For now, it’s enough to be together.  You’re taking all this really well. I thought you were going to faint earlier.”

****

“I considered it,” he said, laughing nervously.  “Both my girls go away for a few years, and what happens? They fall in love with the creature that killed their mother.  I’m just glad you killed that murderer at last.”

****

“It was a great moment to watch him disintegrate into nothingness; it was not so good trying to escape a burning building,” said Marianne, frowning.

****

“You were so brave,” he said, patting her arm. “I don’t know if I could’ve done that.”

****

“I had a lot of help from Bog.  He’s been my rock,” she admitted, looking off in the distance.

****

“Do you think you will be turned into a vampire at some point?” he asked, looking in Dawn’s direction.  “Give up the sunlight and stay with Bog and Dawn?”

****

“Most likely, yes.  It’s only a matter of time now before both Bog and Dawn start, I figure,” she said, looking rueful.  “I’ll be convinced at some point but not sure when. I want to do more as a hunter first; I’d love to see if more exist in hiding out there to replace me before I turn.”

****

“Ever my dutiful daughter.  I’m proud of you,” he said. “Just don’t wait too long.  I don’t want to see you alone any longer than you have to be.  I’ve known it for too long; I don’t want that for you.”

****

“Thanks, Dad,” she said, hugging him before they headed to bed.  In the evening, they made the ride back to Plumville, and the wedding plans proceeded.  

****

Dagda was awkward around his two future son-in-laws, but they made multiple promises to protect him, lest they get staked in their sleep by the angry daughters. All did their part not to freak out Dagda too much, so by the time of the wedding, he was almost convinced to stay in town.

****

The day before the wedding, Marianne found Bog pacing nervously.  

****

“Bog? Talk to me,” she asked, taking his hand and making him stop.

****

“It doesn’t feel right, the wedding,” he said, looking at her significantly.

****

“Why?” she asked immediately worried.  “Do you suspect something?”

****

“No, nothing like that. It’s just that, well, it’s doesn’t feel right for me or you,” he said, trying to make his jumbled thoughts make sense, his hands flying everywhere.

****

“I’m not following you,” she replied, bringing him over to a seat while Stuff, Thang, and Dawn peeked from around a corner, grinning like fools.

****

“That is, I suppose you don’t care since we’re already mates by goblin law, but not technically anywhere else,” he said, taking her hand and touching the ring. “You wear it because it’s rightly yours, even if you technically shouldn’t wear it….right there and now at least.”

****

“What are you trying to suggest?” she asked, looking horrified.  “You want me to give it back to you?”

****

“No!” he cried, waving his hands and holding her down before she could move. “I want to marry you properly.  Tomorrow.”

****

“Oh,” she said stupidly, understanding starting to come but not fast enough to make her look like more than a gaping fish.  “But what about Dawn?”

****

“I asked her; she was happy to share her day with you,” he said, looking nervous.  “So, will you? Marry me, that is.”

****

“Yes!” she said before hugging and kissing him. “Always yes. I love you.”

****

“I love you more than anything, even more than blood,” he said, making her grimace.  “What? That’s saying something for a vampire.”

****

“Oh, Boggy, you’re so silly,” said Dawn, revealing herself as she put away the camera to record Marianne’s reaction.  She ran to her sister, hugging her before saying, “I’m so glad I get to share my wedding day with you! It was about time he did it.  Griselda, Plum, and I have been nagging at him ever since we started talking together.”

****

“I knew it!” he moaned as Marianne laughed.    

****

Dawn’s wedding had been planned to be full of baby blues and bright pinks.  When Marianne was added, purple was added to the color scheme, as somehow a large supply of purple had been ordered at the same time as everything else.  The ceremony was held under the willow tree, all light supplied by twinkling Christmas lights and Japanese paper lanterns, flower petals of all three colors strewn everywhere.  Everyone agreed that Griselda cried the most at the ceremony, followed by Dagda and Plum. 

****

After the ceremony, the small party and various guests went inside to celebrate them and that new laws were made in honor of the marriages to help relations between vampires and hunters.  There was a giant cake with the word “Lofe” on it, and Griselda bemoaned the fact that she had no way to capture Bog in pictures to show how happy he was. All danced the night away at the reception, and at one point, Marianne convinced Bog to sing “Wild Thing” with her.

****

The next evening, Sunny and Dawn headed to Paris with Griselda.  Bog and Marianne were about to head out to their location when Stuff and Thang came up to her separately while Bog was bringing down all their luggage.

****

“I knew it was only a matter of time before you admitted your love for another and proved you were mates.  I believed in you always,” said Thang, hugging her first. “Which is why I want you to take my next words just as seriously, as I believe it’ll come to be at some point.  When you choose to become a vampire, Stuff and I would be honored to serve both you and Bog….for feeding purposes.”

****

“Thank you,” she replied, taking them both in her arms.  “When that day comes, I’ll be glad to have you.”

****

Bog appeared then, and as he walked forward, Thang was walking away with Stuff whispering loudly, “See? I told you! She said when, not if!”

****

“What is he babbling about now?”

****

“Nothing you need to worry about right now,” she said, grinning at him.  

****

He gave her a look signifying that he didn’t quite believe her but shrugged.  “That’s true. We have the rest of our lives, which is a long time.”

****

“Forever, not long at all,” she said, kissing his cheek. “Based on how long you live, that gives us lots of time to talk and figure things out.”

****

“So, have you figured out where we’re going yet?” he asked, pulling her close.

****

“Yes.  How do you feel about Mount Fuji? We can hike and see some mountains, which I miss, and we can learn more fighting techniques together.”

****

She gave him a hopeful look, and he smiled before kissing her once in response.

****

“I suddenly lofe it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! My small idea for a story grew enormously; I hope it was worth it!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading!


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